The IDF and Shin Bet said Sunday that a Hamas operative apprehended in a counter-terror operation this morning in Aqabah, Judea and Samaria, led forces to a weapons cache with an M16 rifle and explosives after being interrogated. Ten Hamas operatives were arrested and a rocket without a launcher was destroyed at the scene.
The IDF and Shin Bet disclosed Sunday afternoon that a Hamas operative arrested earlier in the day in Aqabah, Judea and Samaria, led security forces to a hidden weapons cache containing an M16 rifle and explosives after being interrogated. This development adds to initial reports published around 14:13 Jerusalem, when the IDF and Shin Bet announced the dismantling of a ten-man Hamas terror cell in the village and the seizure of a rocket without a launcher.
At 14:13 Jerusalem, security sources reported that Yamam and Duvdevan forces had captured ten Hamas operatives in Aqabah, seizing a rocket, explosives, and firearms, with the cell suspected of planning a large-scale attack inspired by the October 7, 2023 massacre. A simultaneous official statement confirmed the arrests and the recovery of a rocket and weapons cache. By 14:38, a joint statement further clarified that one of the detainees disclosed the weapons cache after interrogation, leading to its destruction on site.
The operation was conducted under the Menashe Brigade in northern Judea and Samaria, where the IDF regularly conducts counter-terror sweeps. As The Zioneer reported on July 1, a Border Police and IDF operation in nearby Aqab and the Shua'fat refugee camp thwarted a Hamas cell planning an imminent attack near Jerusalem. The sustained effort reflects a focus on dismantling Hamas infrastructure plotting large-scale attacks.
Specific details regarding the cell’s intended targets and the timeline of the planned attack remain under investigation by the Shin Bet. No further statements have been issued.
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