Story perspectives

Israel arrests 30 Palestinians in Hamas-linked West Bank crackdown

9/9/2026

Summary

Israel Dismantles Hamas Network

Israel security forces arrested over 30 Palestinians in a joint operation against a Hamas-linked terror network.
Investigators say Rashid Rishk and Sabih Abu Sabih built a network recruiting military-style cells across the West Bank.
The network allegedly planned attacks in a Modi’in restaurant and al-Eizariya checkpoint.
IDF troops killed wanted Palestinian Abd al-Karim Muhammad Salem Khader in Aqraba after he threw a Molotov.

Summary

Netanyahu Declares War

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced an “all-out war” against West Bank terrorism, directed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan urged door-to-door weapon collection and crushing terrorist support infrastructure.
The IDF’s Duvdevan Unit, Nahal Brigade, and Unit 636 were deployed to locate the stabbing attacker.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged “no terrorist can hide,” praising IDF fighters for eliminating the attacker.

History

Historical Context

Operation Defensive Shield, launched by Israel in 2002, deployed massive forces across the West Bank to dismantle terrorist cells. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon authorized the operation, which resulted in over 1,000 Palestinian arrests and the destruction of dozens of Hamas-run safe houses. Today's joint raids targeting Rashid Rishk’s network and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s all-out war echo Defensive Shield’s strategy of coordinated IDF units, such as Duvdevan and Nahal, confronting West Bank militancy. The 2002 precedent shows that large-scale crackdowns can temporarily suppress attacks but also intensify political tension, shaping future Israeli security policies.

1 of 3

Israel Dismantles Hamas Network

Israel security forces arrested over 30 Palestinians in a joint operation against a Hamas-linked terror network.
Investigators say Rashid Rishk and Sabih Abu Sabih built a network recruiting military-style cells across the West Bank.
The network allegedly planned attacks in a Modi’in restaurant and al-Eizariya checkpoint.
IDF troops killed wanted Palestinian Abd al-Karim Muhammad Salem Khader in Aqraba after he threw a Molotov.

1 / 3