Yamam, ISA arrests terrorist in Nablus hospital, eliminates other terrorists in West Bank

The terrorists eliminated by the IDF, in addition to the one arrested, had been responsible for the August murder of Yonatan Deutsch.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 4, 2024 23:10 Updated: DECEMBER 4, 2024 23:24

IDF soldiers operate in Nablus, in the West Bank, November 29, 2024. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Yamam and ISA forces apprehended the terrorist Ayman Ghanam on Wednesday night from a hospital in Nablus, the IDF announced shortly after the arrest. The military also announced that the terrorist Abd al-Ra’uf Masri was killed during an exchange of fire in early October.

Ghanam was a member of a terror cell responsible for a shooting attack in August which saw the murder of Yonatan Deutsch and the wounding of 32-year-old Anas Jaramana, the military reported.  

Ghanam was wounded by an ISA-directed strike in Aqabah in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday, which led to his evacuation to the hospital in Nablus, the IDF said. After the unsuccessful elimination attempt, security forces went on to capture Ghanam alive.

The IDF assured that the operation was conducted after careful planning and efforts were made to mitigate the risk of harm to both patients and medical staff at the site.

The Central Command Commander, the Jordan Valley and Emek HaMayanot Brigade Commander, the Head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, and additional commanders during an assessment of the situation at the terror attack site, August 11, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The other terrorists responsible

Since carrying out the attack in August, the military reported that Ghanam had become the head of a terror cell planning future attacks against Israeli civilians. 

Masri, the terrorist killed in an exchange of fire in early October, had also taken part in the shooting attack which killed Deutsch, the IDF reported. M-16 rifles, cartridges, and military equipment were located on Masri's body, the military confirmed. 

The IDF previously announced the elimination of West Bank terrorist Wael Lahluh, who the ISA and the IDF eliminated in an aerial strike earlier this week. Lahluh had been head of the terror cell responsible for the murder of Deutsch at the time of his death along with several attacks in the area of Gilboa.