Soldiers arrest Al Quds Brigades leader and his assistant in Jenin

At dawn on Thursday, Israeli soldiers arrested Firas Abu Al-Rub – leader of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad – during a special military operation carried out by the army in the West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday night.

Soldiers shelled an apartment building in which Firas and Iyad were holed up in, throughout wednesday night.

 After they partially demolished the front of the building, Israeli forces shelled the structure, setting fire to part of it. Special Forces of the Israeli army then stormed the building amid heavy gunfire and accompanied by police dogs.

 Iyad and Firas, both of whom are wnated by the Israeli authorities, were then arrested.

 Iyad’s name has been on Israel’s list of wanted Palestinians for two years. Israeli forces have actively pursued him but he was able to escape several arrest and assassination attempts. Israeli soldiers also demolished his home in the village of Jalboun.

 Over 50 military vehicles participated in the arrest of the two Islamic Jihad operatives.

 Dozens of homes were raided and searched. One young Palestinian was killed and 12 others injured during violent confrontations in the city.

Israeli online daily Ynetnews reported that Zakariyya Zobeidi, leader of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh, in Jenin, told the Associated Press after midnight that he received a phone call from Arab member of Knesset, Mohammad Barakeh,  asking him to intervene in the standoff between the army and Abu AL Rub.

The Ynetnews added that Barakeh spoke to the army and worked out a deal.

 Zobeidi stated that he negotiated the end of the siege, getting the army to stop its demolition of the building and allowing the fighter to step out unharmed.