The IDF Shin Bet reported a successful drone strike overnight against a cell led by a top terror leader in the West Bank. The cell, headed by Abdullah Abu Shalal, whom the IDF and Shin Bet referred to as the leader of “one of the main terror networks” in the West Bank, was preparing for a “large imminent attack.”

According to a joint statement from the IDF and Shin Bet, the targeted strike was executed near the Balata refugee camp in Nablus. It was based on intelligence about the cell’s intentions to imminently launch a major attack. The identities of the other cell members have not been confirmed.

Weapons, including a machine gun, handguns, magazines, and explosive devices, were found in the vehicle used by the cell.

The IDF attributed a series of recent attacks to Abu Shalal, including a shooting in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood last April that injured two Israelis, and a bombing in October that wounded an IDF soldier.

Following the Nablus strike, the IDF reported another operation in the West Bank city of Tulkarem targeting a group of Palestinian gunmen, killing four terrorists but also resulting in one IDF reservist being seriously wounded. Additionally, the IDF’s operations in Tulkarem included arrests, interrogations, and the discovery of hidden explosive devices.

These incidents follow a period of increased violence in the West Bank. In a recent attack in Ra’anana, two Palestinians killed an elderly woman and injured several others in a car-ramming and stabbing spree. The IDF has since mapped the homes of these attackers for potential demolition and detained numerous suspects in the West Bank.

Israeli security chiefs have reportedly warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the potential for even more violence in the West Bank. This comes as Israel faces challenges on multiple fronts, including conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah on the northern border.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)