Israeli forces arrest Fatah terrorist who carried out deadly 2006 attack

The Shin Bet, together with the security bodies, “will continue to act to thwart terrorist activity against the citizens of Israel and strive to solve terrorist attacks and prosecute the perpetrators even years later.” 

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Israel’s combined security forces have recently exposed and rounded up a network of terrorist operatives from the Shechem (Nablus) area who planned and executed shooting attacks, the Shin Bet security agency announced Thursday.

As part of an activity to expose the terror elements behind the shooting attacks in the area of ​​Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem in recent months, during which three Israelis were injured in May, the forces arrested Alam Al-Ra’i, 42, a resident of Shechem a member of the Fatah’s Tanzim.

The Shin Bet investigation revealed that Al-Ra’i had been recruited by a resident of the Gaza Strip, Muhammad Madi, to carry out military terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria and that Al-Ra’i recruited additional activists as members of his cell to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli targets, and received funds to promote these actions.

The investigation revealed that in April, Al-Ra’i was involved in the approval of two shooting attacks against Joseph’s Tomb.

Evidence was also collected regarding Al-Ra’i’s membership in a Tanzim cell that carried out several attacks against IDF forces in Shechem between 2005-2007.

He was part of a terror cell that was responsible for carrying out a bomb attack against an IDF unit operating in Shechem on July 17, 2006, during which IDF Sgt. Osher Damari was killed and several other soldiers were wounded.

During those years, Al-Ra’i, along with other terrorists, participated in dozens of shooting and bombing attacks against IDF forces that resulted in the injury of Israeli soldiers.

The investigation was accompanied by the military prosecution, and after examining the materials, the military prosecution filed on Thursday an indictment against Al-Ra’i alleging a large number of serious security offenses, including the murder of Osher Damari.

The Shin Bet, together with the security bodies, “will continue to act to thwart terrorist activity against the citizens of Israel and strive to solve terrorist attacks and prosecute the perpetrators even years later,” the  agency stated.