IDF kills most wanted terror commander in Judea and Samaria; Israeli soldier lightly wounded in Tulkarm gun battle

In an intense firefight in the city of Tulkarm in Samaria, Israel Defense Forces eliminated the most wanted terror commander in the West Bank, along with four other terrorists. Another senior terror operative was arrested, the army said Thursday morning.

On Wednesday morning, the IDF announced the start of a large-scale counter-terror operation focusing on the towns of Jenin and Tulkarm but including several other locations. Army Radio reported that the raids are expected to last several days and will be on a scale not seen in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) since 2022’s Operation Defensive Shield.

Muhammad Jaber, better known as “Abu Shuja’a,” was killed while hiding in a mosque in the Nur a-Shams camp near Tulkarm.

“During the fighting, a Yamam fighter was lightly injured and at the end of the activity was taken to a hospital for medical treatment,” the IDF stated.

According to Palestinian reports cited by Army Radio, soldiers of the IDF, Shin Bet and the Border Police Commando Yamam unit entered the camp dressed as Arab civilians before encircling the building.

150 terrorist attacks against Israelis have been carried out over the past year by terrorists from Jenin and Tulkarm.

Read that again: 150 terrorist attacks in 1 year.

These attacks have repeatedly put the lives of not only Israelis, but Palestinians at risk. Our troops are… pic.twitter.com/ejM4HBSIT7

— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) August 28, 2024

An intense gun battle developed, during which Israeli forces fired four missiles at the building.

In the end, five terrorists were killed and another leader of the Tulkarm Battalion terror group, Muhammad Qassas, was arrested. Dozens were wounded during the raid.

“Muhammad Jaber, ‘Abu Shuja’a’, the head of the terrorist organization in Nur a-Shams, was involved in many attacks, as well as directing the shooting attack last June, during which the late Amnon Muchtar was murdered,” the army said.

Palestinian media reported that 11 Palestinians were eliminated during the ongoing IDF operation, raising the overall death toll since late Tuesday night to 16.

On Thursday, groups affiliated with the Fatah party, which is led by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, announced that two of the people killed were members of the PA's security forces, which are funded by the U.S. and the European Union, among others.

The elimination of Abu Shuja’a is the first significant success in the IDF’s large-scale operation across several towns in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), including Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas and others.

He was among the most-wanted terrorists in the area and had escaped several past assassination attempts.

“This is a senior terrorist who directed many attacks, and was a factor that greatly destabilized the entire region of northern Samaria. He grew up in a poor home as a marginalized child, but thanks to a dominant personality - became a symbol as the leader of the terrorists in Nur a-Shams,” according to Army Radio’s military correspondent, Doron Kadosh.