PM addresses ongoing IDF and ISA manhunt for Ariel terrorist; Netanyahu announces demolition of terrorist’s family home; IDF raids Palestinian village of Burqin Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued its manhunt for the terrorist responsible for killing an IDF soldier and rabbi in stabbing and shooting attacks at the Ariel Junction in Samaria Sunday. Hamas claimed responsibility and praised the attack as an act of resistance against the “Israeli occupation”. The attacks were not condemned by the Palestinian Authority (PA), but were praised by many of its members, alongside the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF Spokespersons Unit reported on its progress releasing the statement “Security forces continue in their pursuit of the terrorist who conducted the attack at the Ariel Junction and the Gitai Avishar Junction earlier this week. Overnight, troops searched the area of the village of a-Zawiya, southeast of Qalqilya,” the home village of the terrorist. The IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA, Shin Bet) then reported that it raided the village of Burqin and surrounding area in pursuit of the suspected terrorist, Omar Abu Lila, on Tuesday. The three-day manhunt has included combat and special forces, raids and investigations surrounding the assailant.
Prime Minister Netanyahu again vowed to find the terrorist, announcing that Israel will demolish the terrorist’s family home. Quoting the Bible, he stated on Monday, “We know the identity of the assailant; the IDF, ISA and the security services are in close pursuit. We know where he lives and have located his family. This morning I gave the orders to start the demolition of his home and the preparations have begun. These terrorists will not uproot us from here; the complete opposite will happen. Our response is simple – ‘the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and spread.’ [Exodus 1:12]”
He assured the Israeli people that “in the end we will defeat the murderers. We will apprehend them. The arms of the security services reach all of these murderers.” He added, “Our strength is great. We will apprehend them just as we have apprehended all of the recent assailants.”
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