Israeli forces arrest 25 Hamas members

Israel continues its efforts to counter Palestinian terrorism and violence.

Israeli security forces arrested 25 members of the Hamas terror group at various locations throughout Judea and Samaria over the weekend, part of their stepped-up counter-terrorism actions in the wake of escalated tension in the past week.

Israel augmented its forces in the Judea and Samaria region and placed them on high alert after the terror attack in Halamish on Friday night, in which a Palestinian terrorist murdered three family members in their home on the Jewish Sabbath.

On Saturday morning, IDF soldiers searched the terrorist’s family home in the village of Kobar and detained one of his brothers, the IDF said.

Soldiers searched the house and measured it in preparation for demolition. Anticipating this, local residents said the family emptied its home of valuables. Later, clashes erupted as residents burned tires and hurled rocks at Israeli troops who had searched the home. The military says about 50 people attacked troops who fired back with rubber bullets and tear gas.

The terror attack followed a day of violent Palestinian riots, which erupted over tensions at the Temple Mount. Three Palestinians were killed in street clashes.

Over the weekend, Israel installed new security cameras at the entrance to the Jerusalem holy site, another security measure introduced after the July 14 Temple Mount terror attack, which left two Israeli policemen dead.

Israel says the measures are necessary to prevent more attacks, but Muslims allege Israel is trying to expand its control at the site.

The Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, told the Voice of Palestine he demands a complete return to the procedure before the initial attack.

Following a relatively quiet day, violence resumed late Saturday near the epicenter of the current crisis in the Old City of Jerusalem. After hundreds of Muslim worshipers held their evening prayers outside the Jerusalem holy site, resuming their protest against security measures, clashes unfolded with police firing tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters.

By: World Israel News Staff