Israeli security forces arrested three Palestinians and seized firearms, ammunition and other military equipment during a raid in the Dheisheh camp in Judea, authorities said on Wednesday.
The operation involved the Israel Prison Service’s Masada unit, Israel Police officers and Israel Defense Forces soldiers, who searched a compound linked to a suspected crime figure, according to a joint statement.
Dheisheh, near Bethlehem, is a known stronghold of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization.
As part of the raid, the forces seized two pistols, a shotgun, magazines, ammunition, protective gear and additional combat equipment, the statement said.
The forces also recovered a BMW that investigators suspect was stolen in an armed robbery of an Arab-Israeli citizen near the Palestinian town of Ubeidiya in June.
The three suspects were detained on suspicion of weapons offenses and transferred into the custody of the Israel Police for further questioning, the statement added.
“Security forces will continue working in close cooperation to locate and thwart weapons infrastructure, combat serious crime, safeguard the security of the citizens of the State of Israel and bring those involved to justice,” it concluded.
Meanwhile, during an operation in the Palestinian village of al-Ram, northeast of Jerusalem just beyond the Green Line, police officers seized two firearms and other equipment, the force said separately.
“Detectives from the Shuafat station operated overnight based on precise intelligence, together with an IDF force, conducting proactive searches at two locations in al-Ram,” according to the statement.
During the searches, the forces seized two pistols, a hunting rifle, Palestinian flags and a police reflective vest. Three suspects, all residents of al-Ram in their 20s, were arrested and taken for questioning.
