Operation ‘Summer Camps’: IDF eliminates terror commander and 6 other gunmen near Jenin

IDF to investigate soldiers accused of mistreating bodies of terrorists

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Israel Defense Forces eliminated seven terrorists in Qabatiya, near Jenin in northern Samaria on Thursday, as part of the ongoing Operation 'Summer Camps,' aimed at tamping down the soaring terror activity in Judea and Samaria.

During the fire exchange, soldiers of the IDF’s Duvdevan commando unit surrounded a group of terrorists who had barricaded themselves in a building.

After employing the "pressure cooker" tactic – where Israeli soldiers gradually intensify fire until gunmen either surrender or are killed – the IDF reported that four terrorists were eliminated and their weapons confiscated.

Israeli forces later identified another group of gunmen who opened fire at IDF soldiers conducting operations in the area.

“At the direction of the Shin Bet and the forces in the field, an Air Force aircraft attacked the vehicle the terrorists were in and eliminated three of them. The terrorists’ vehicle contained weapons and explosives that caused a secondary explosion,” the army stated, later releasing footage of the airstrike.

במהלך פעילות משותפת של צה"ל ושב״כ אתמול בקבטיה שבמרחב ג'נין, לוחמי יחידת דובדבן חיסלו ארבעה מחבלים חמושים במהלך חילופי אש.
הכוחות החרימו שלושה נשקים ואמצעי לחימה נוספים שאותרו על המחבלים שחוסלו>> pic.twitter.com/z9lHo79DG3
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 20, 2024

“Among the terrorists who were killed in the attack was the head of the terrorist organization in Qabatiya, Shadi Zakarnah, who is responsible for directing and carrying out attacks in the northern Samaria region,” the IDF stated.

In addition, seven terror suspects were arrested during the operation.

Following the conclusion of the raid, Palestinian film footage of the operation was shared on social media, showing IDF soldiers throwing the bodies of several deceased terrorists off of a roof in Qabatiya.

“This is a serious incident that is not in line with IDF values and what is expected of IDF soldiers. The incident is being investigated,” the army later stated.

IDF troops typically leave the bodies of deceased gunmen behind when withdrawing after a raid, however, they sometimes they are instructed to bring the bodies with them for investigation.

In the past, similar allegations of mistreatment of terrorists’ bodies were caused by soldiers using engineering equipment to transport bodies they feared were booby-trapped or carried explosives.

The governor of Jenin later told Reuters that 18 people were wounded by Israeli forces during the fire exchanges.

Since the start of the war last October, Israeli security forces have arrested some 5,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank (biblical Judea and Samaria), including over 2,000 known affiliates of Hamas.

More than 670 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Palestinian reports. The IDF says most of them were killed during violent riots, gunmen killed in fire exchanges, or terrorists eliminated during an attack.

Thirty-three Israelis, including security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in the same time frame, and another six members of security forces died in anti-terror raids.