Israeli forces kill 6 Palestinians: Rabbi’s murderers and would-be infiltrators from Gaza
Early Saturday, Dec. 26, an Israeli special force went into the West Bank town of Nablus and killed Ghasen Abu Sharaf, Raad Sukarj and Banan Suboh, leading members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the suicide-military wing of Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah. All three were implicated in the drive-by shooting murder of Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai Thursday night (Dec. 24) as he headed for his home in Shavei Shomron on a northern West Bank highway. Two were wanted for terrorist activity and one had been amnestied by Israel against a pledge to abstain from violence.
A fourth suspect turned himself in to Palestinian security forces.
Although the Brigades owned up to the murder, Mahmoud Abbas now accuses Israel of “a war crime,” appeals for “international intervention” and threatens revenge.
Israel acted after Palestinian security forces failed to meet their obligation to catch the murderers and hand them over, for which they were given 24 hours.
Palestinian security units rounded up suspects of the rabbi’s murder in Tulkarm, whereas the Israeli force struck in Nablus, indicating that Palestinian counter-terror intelligence was either faulty or deliberately misleading to give the murderers a chance to escape.
debkafile‘s counter-terror sources report that urgent action had become necessary to stem burgeoning Palestinian violence on the West Bank and prevent it from spilling over into Israel. The three men killed in Nablus were leading lights in this comprehensive Palestinian terror conspiracy.
Abbas’ refusal to talk peace with the Netanyahu government – except on his terms – has been translated to the military sphere through the vehicle of his Fatah’s “military” arm.
Our military sources add that Israeli officialdom is not publicizing the mounting level of Palestinian violence in the West Bank. However, since the Netanyahu government ordered checkpoints stripped down to ease Palestinian road traffic at Washington’s urging, special Israeli units find themselves fully engaged in chasing terrorist gangs to prevent them crossing the Green Line for attacks inside Israel, in view of which Israeli security services fear to relax their guard.
Our military sources add that Israeli officialdom is not publicizing the mounting level of Palestinian violence in the West Bank. However, since the Netanyahu government ordered checkpoints stripped down to ease Palestinian road traffic, special Israeli units find themselves fully engaged in chasing terrorist gangs to prevent them crossing the Green Line for attacks inside Israel.
In the South, Israeli air and ground forces killed three heavily-armed Palestinians near the Gaza border trying to crawl into Israel for a terrorist operation