Elite undercover commandos from the Gideonim unit captured a senior Tanzim terrorist in a daring raid deep inside Balata refugee camp near Shechem, shooting him in the legs when he attempted to escape after being cornered in a local phone shop.
The Gideonim (Unit 33), part of the Lahav 433 national crime-fighting division of the Israel Police, carried out the operation in close coordination with the Shin Bet security service and the Samaria Brigade. The target was a 35-year-old Tanzim operative from the village of Qalil, identified by intelligence as having significant access to weapons and active involvement in terror activity that posed an immediate threat.
To reach the suspect without alerting the hostile population and risking the mission or sparking wider unrest, security officials deployed the undercover unit. Dressed in civilian clothing, the Gideonim fighters entered the densely packed refugee camp and located the wanted man inside a phone and computer store.
The moment the commandos revealed themselves and moved to make the arrest, the suspect resisted and bolted toward the exit. The fighters, trained to operate under extreme pressure with split-second decision-making, responded with precision: they fired at close range, striking the fugitive's legs and stopping his escape attempt cold. Once neutralized, the forces took control, administered first aid on site to stabilize his condition, restrained him with cuffs, and transferred him to Shin Bet facilities for interrogation.
Throughout the operation, uniformed IDF and Border Police units secured the perimeter to prevent armed locals or stone-throwers from converging on the arrest team. Police, IDF, and Shin Bet spokespeople confirmed at the conclusion of the raid that no Israeli security personnel were injured, and that all agencies will continue to operate proactively and decisively across all sectors to apprehend terror operatives and thwart threats against Israeli civilians.
