Six West Bank Men Arrested in Rocket Network Investigation

Israeli security forces announced on Tuesday that they have arrested six Palestinians from the Jenin area in the northern West Bank. The arrests follow an investigation into a network that attempted to build and launch rockets at Israel.

The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police stated that the group had manufactured one rocket and several explosive devices. According to the joint announcement, the cell conducted at least three launch tests. The main suspect admitted to establishing the network and identifying his associates.

That suspect told investigators that the test launches showed successful results in power and range. He said the group made technical improvements after each test in preparation for the next attempt. Another member of the cell confessed to helping the group obtain explosives.

During the investigation, officers discovered that the cell received information via a messaging app. The messages concerned materials required to manufacture explosives. The source of the information was an outside party in contact with the main suspect. Authorities seized several weapons, including an assault rifle and an RPG grenade launcher.

Police also took written materials containing instructions for manufacturing explosives and rockets. The documents described devices intended for use against the State of Israel and its security forces. Prosecutors are expected to file indictments against the six men in the coming days.

In a separate operation, Border Police officers captured a wanted Palestinian and another suspect during a raid in the village of Kafr Dan near Jenin. The raid took place on Monday, one day before the announcement of the rocket arrests. The wanted man was affiliated with the Fatah party, which rules the Palestinian Authority.

Police said the man had been hiding from security forces for an extended period while maintaining ties to other individuals. Officers arrived undercover at a clothing store in Kafr Dan where he was allegedly staying. They surrounded the building and called on him to surrender.

The man exited the store with his hands raised and was arrested at the scene. Police also detained the business owner for assisting the wanted Palestinian in hiding. He had been hiding at the store for an unspecified period.

Separately, Palestinian media outlets reported that settlers set fire to two vehicles and part of an unoccupied building in the South Hebron Hills overnight on Tuesday. Hebrew graffiti sprayed on the building read: Evictions = chaos. No injuries were reported in that incident.

Israeli security forces also reported that they arrested 18 settlers on Monday. Those men rioted and attacked troops during the evacuation of an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank. In the Nablus area, settlers set fire to several vehicles overnight in the village of Majdal Bani Fadil. Palestinian media reported that no injuries resulted from that event.