GAZA CITY: The Israeli army closed areas near the Gaza border to civilians on Tuesday, citing a risk of reprisals following the overnight arrest of senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad members.
Bassem Al-Saadi, a senior figure in Islamic Jihad’s political wing in the West Bank, was arrested overnight on Tuesday in the West Bank city of Jenin along with two others in a raid.
A 17-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces during the raid.
Islamic Jihad identified the teenager as Dirar Al-Kafrayni, and said he was a member of the group and “our heroic martyr.”
As news of the deadly raid spread, crowds began to gather in Jenin refugee camp and the nearby city of Nablus, as supporters voiced solidarity with Islamic Jihad.
The Israeli army blocked roads and halted rail traffic near the Gaza border in preparation for a retaliatory attack.
A Palestinian source identified the second person detained as Al-Saadi’s son-in-law, a Jenin-based fundraiser for the militant group, AFP reported.
Al-Saadi was injured by an Israeli army dog during his arrest, the Palestinian source said.
The army said it had operated alongside police, who arrested “two wanted terror suspects.”
Israel has arrested Al-Saadi several times in the past, with multiple criminal charges leading to a total prison term of 15 years.
Footage of his arrest taken from nearby security cameras surfaced online showing an injured Al-Saadi being dragged by soldiers.
In an attempt to calm the tension, Israeli media published a picture of Al-Saadi after his arrest to prove that he was in good health.
Al-Quds Brigades said: “We in the Al-Quds Brigades declare alertness and raise the readiness of our mujahideen and combat units operating in response to the call of duty in the face of the treacherous aggression that the great leader Sheikh Bassam Al-Saadi and his family were subjected to in Jenin.”
Tariq Ezz El-Din, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad, said: “The Al-Quds Brigades are ready to go to the extreme, respond to the crimes of the occupation, carry out their national duty toward our people and assume their national responsibilities toward them.”
Various local media, citing informed sources, reported that the Egyptian government is trying to defuse the tension by communicating with Israel and Islamic Jihad, as well as Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Today, about 14,000 Palestinians from Gaza have permission to work in Israel. If there is no new military escalation with Hamas, that number is expected to grow to 20,000, based on a decision by the Israeli Cabinet. Israel is even considering raising the figure to as high as 30,000.
However, following any period of escalation or after rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, Israel cancels the announced facilities or stops the increase of permits, as happened recently after US President Joe Biden’s visit, in which 1,500 permits were frozen following the firing of missiles.
Hamas has not given any indication of a new escalation, except condemning the Israeli incursion into the West Bank and arresting Al-Saadi.
Home to some 2.3 million Palestinians, Gaza has been under Israeli blockade since 2007 when Hamas ousted forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
