Israel’s defense minister vows to exterminate terrorism in Judea and Samaria

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant touts operation in Samaria that eliminated 10 Arab terrorists, vows to continue counter-terror crackdown.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s Defense Minister lauded soldiers who took part in a counterterror operation in Shechem (Nablus) Wednesday, and vowed to continue to crackdown on Arab terror in Judea and Samaria.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) met with local IDF officials stationed in the Nablus Sector of Samaria Thursday during a tour of the area.

After meeting with Brigade Comander Lt. Col. Shimon Siso and Golani patrol commander Lt. Col. Matan Feldman, Gallant touted Israel’s intelligence agencies and security personnel for their role in the successful operation in Shechem (Nablus) which left 11 dead and over 100 wounded.

No Israeli personnel were killed or wounded in the counterterror activity, despite coming under heavy fire during what had originally been planned as an arrest operation.

“I congratulate the security forces who acted yesterday in Nablus, under pressure and heavy fire, against terrorists who planned to carry out attacks on Israeli territory,” Gallant said.

“The combination between the intelligence operations, the planning and execution of the fighters brought an impressive achievement to our forces, who successfully completed their mission and prevented harm to the citizens of Israel.”

“We will be crippled by terrorism everywhere until we exterminate it,” Gallant added. “The IDF and the security forces will act hard against terrorists.”

“This was the case a few weeks ago in Jenin and Jericho, this was also the case in Nablus, and this will be the case whenever we are required to act.”

All three wanted terrorists targeted in the arrest were killed during the shootout.

The three wanted men were identified as Husam Aslim, 24, a senior terrorist in the Lions’ Den group who carried out shooting and IED attacks and dispatched the murderers of IDF St.-Sgt. Ido Baruch; Muhammad a-Fatah, 24, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist who carried out shooting attacks against IDF; and Walid Dahil, 24, a member of the Lions’ Den group who fired at soldiers in Judea and Samaria.