Security forces apprehended several suspects early Sunday morning said to be behind the deadly shooting attack that killed Yehuda Dimentman last week near Homesh in the West Bank.
The alleged terrorists were said to be members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement. Large forces from the IDF, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the Border Police arrested the suspects in the village of Silat al-Harithiya, northwest of Jenin.
One of the PIJ suspects had been previously jailed in Israel.
The IDF intensified its manhunt over the weekend for the killers of Dimentman, 25, a married father of a young son. He was a passenger in a car riddled with bullets on its way from Homesh to the settlement of Shavei Shomron.
Soldiers focused specifically on areas around the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus in the Samaria region, close to where the gunmen ambushed the car on Thursday night. Two other Israelis in the car were lightly wounded.
OPERATIONAL UPDATE: The 4 suspects, and the weapon used to carry out the horrific attack last week, were caught overnight. In this shooting attack, 2 civilians were injured and one killed. We will continue operating to maintain security in the region. pic.twitter.com/5eYrNoNg10
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 19, 2021
Weapons suspected of being used in the attack were seized by security forces, including two M-16 rifles and an improvised semi-automatic gun. The terrorists were transferred to the Shin Bet for further questioning.
At least two M-16s were confiscated as well as Carlo submachine guns pic.twitter.com/qRoQ6cY6uW
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) December 19, 2021
According to Palestinian reports, Majed Saleh Jaradat, one of the suspects, is the son of Salah Jaradat, an Islamic Jihad operative who was killed by Israeli forces in 2003. According to later reports, two of the other suspects apprehended were Ghaith Jaradat, 17, and Omar Ahmed Yassin Jaradat, 20.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited the Shin Bet operations room in the early hours of Sunday morning to closely follow the capture of the attackers.
“Every terrorist in the State of Israel should know this: You are on borrowed time; you can’t hide forever,” he said. “To Yehuda Dimentman’s family: The pain is massive, but the terror won’t win and will not move us from where we are.”
Defense Minister Benny Gantz commended the operation on Sunday, saying, “We will continue to chase terrorists and bring justice to those who hurt or try to hurt Israeli citizens.”
מברך את כוחות הביטחון, בהובלת צה"ל והשב"כ על פעולה מהירה, מקצועית ונחושה לאיתור המחבלים שאחראים לרצח יהודה דימנטמן ז"ל. נמשיך נמשיך לרדוף את הטרור ולבוא חשבון עם כל מי שיפגע או ינסה לפגוע באזרחי ישראל.
— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) December 19, 2021
Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev said, “Every terrorist who attacks an Israeli citizen should know that the day will come when he will meet [Israeli] security forces face-to-face. We will not give in to terror.”
פעולה מהירה ונחושה של הימ״מ הובילה למעצרם הלילה של המחבלים שרצחו את יהודה דימנטמן ז״ל.ברכות לצה״ל ולשב״כ על לכידתם של המחבלים.ידע כל מחבל שפגע באזרח ישראלי, כי יבוא יום והוא יפגוש את זרועות הביטחון פנים אל פנים. אנחנו לא נכנע לטרור
— עמר בר-לב (@omerbarlev) December 19, 2021
A number of violent incidents erupted in the West Bank over the weekend, including a stabbing attack in Hebron and clashes between Palestinians and settlers.
Tovah Lazaroff and Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.