The IDF and Shin Bet said Sunday they dismantled a Hamas terror cell of 10 operatives in the village of Aqabah in Judea and Samaria, in an operation by the Menashe Brigade. During the operation, forces located and destroyed a rocket and, following an interrogation, found a weapons cache containing an M16 rifle and large quantities of explosives.
The IDF and Shin Bet announced Sunday afternoon that they dismantled a Hamas terror cell of 10 operatives in the village of Aqabah in Judea and Samaria, in an operation carried out earlier Sunday morning by the Menashe Brigade together with Yamam and Border Police forces. A rocket without a launcher was located and destroyed on site, and following interrogation of one of the operatives, forces recovered a weapons cache containing an M16 rifle and large quantities of explosives, all of which were destroyed.
The first reports of the operation, published at 14:13 Jerusalem, indicated the cell was suspected of planning a large-scale terror attack inspired by the October 7 massacre, according to a security report. Over the course of the afternoon, the IDF and Shin Bet released additional details: the cell was specifically composed of Hamas operatives, the precise location was Aqabah (initially reported as Akraba in some versions), and the weapons cache was discovered only after field interrogations confirmed the scope of the capture.
The operation is part of ongoing proactive counter-terror efforts across the Judea and Samaria Division, similar to an operation reported by The Zioneer on July 1 in which a multi-day Border Police and IDF operation arrested a Hamas cell planning an imminent attack in the Jerusalem area. The broader IDF campaign has also included recent eliminations of Nukhba commanders involved in the October 7 attacks in Gaza, as reported by The Zioneer on July 10 and August 30.
All 10 operatives were taken into custody. The rocket found on site lacked a launcher, and the IDF has not detailed the intended target or timing of the planned attacks the cell was allegedly advancing. Security forces stated they continue to operate offensively across Judea and Samaria.
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