(Ynet News) Elisha Ben Kimon - Alaa Nazzal, 29, was the mastermind behind the establishment of the terror battalion in the West Bank city of Qalqilya, less than 7 km. from the Israeli city of Kfar Saba. Nazzal received funding from abroad, including from Iran, to expand the terror network in the city, setting up command centers, safe houses, monitoring IDF forces, deploying snipers, manufacturing explosives, and smuggling in significant amounts of weaponry. Several months before the Gaza war, the IDF noticed an increase in terror attacks emanating from Qalqilya. "They were shooting from passing vehicles, planting explosives, carrying out luring attacks - one even right next to our base at the city entrance," explained Superintendent Daniel Gapso, a platoon commander in the Border Police. "We saw that each time we entered for operations, they were waiting for us, knowing exactly from where we would arrive and where we would depart. They employed groups of young boys from the neighborhoods to conduct surveillance for them in exchange for money. The observations were linked to cameras they had placed in the streets. The terrorists were on rooftops near the routes our forces traveled, and they would start shooting whenever our forces entered." The terrorists' goal was to ultimately launch terror attacks deep into Israeli territory. After intense efforts by Israel Security Agency and the IDF, Nazzal was eliminated in December and the terrorist cell was dismantled.
2024-04-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive