In an operation in the Ramallah district during the night of 25 Kislev (Tuesday to Wednesday), IDF forces apprehended the Hamas commander of all of Yehuda and Shomron, Sheikh Hassan Yousef, 62. The senior terrorist commander was found in his Bituniya home, which is adjacent to Ramallah. The arrest was one of over 30 terrorists taken into custody over the night, however, by far, the most senior.

The IDF released a statement that he is suspected of “involvement in promoting and advancing Hamas’s activities in the West Bank.”

Yousef was recently released from prison, and has been arrested many times in recent years. Earlier this week, he called for a violent response to US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

This is the same Yousef whose son converted to Christianity, assisted Israel in counter-terrorism, and moved to the USA where he published the book “Son of Hamas”.

It appears that with the increase in rocket fire from Hamas-controlled Gaza, Israel is stepping up activities against Hamas in various areas, including the latest round of arrests, which included at least six Hamas-affiliated terrorists.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)