The Palestinians claim that Israel is responsible for the assassination of a senior member of the Gov Aryot organization in Nablus yesterday. Tamer al-Khilani was killed by an explosive device that was planted in a parked motorcycle he was passing by, near the Kasbah of Nablus. According to Palestinian officials, the security cameras examined after the explosion showed a Palestinian collaborator burying the cargo on a motorcycle, shortly before Al-Khilani passed by.
Imprisoned in the past, responsible for a series of attacks: all the details about the eliminated Gov Aryot senior
Elimination of a senior in “Gov Aryot”, photo: Arab Networks
Al-Kilani, 33, is known to the security establishment, and was even in an Israeli prison. He is considered one of the leaders of Gov Aryot, an organization that has recently gained momentum in Nablus, although his description as a “senior” should be treated with skepticism. According to the information in the possession of the security establishment, he directed attacks outside of Nablus and the West Bank as well. According to the suspicion, he was also behind the intention of the terrorist who was sent to carry out an attack in Tel Aviv and was captured in Jaffa about a month and a half ago, with two explosive devices and a Carlo-type personal machine gun in his possession.
The security establishment points to other attacks in which he was involved – planting an explosive device at a gas station in Kedumim, an attempted attack using an explosive device in the Har Bracha area and throwing a grenade at an IDF force near the Gilad farm. The security establishment does not respond to publications from Nablus, and Israel has not taken responsibility for the assassination. In an event that, if indeed Israel is behind it, has not happened in YOSHA for many years.
In regards to targeted killings, the Israeli policy in the YUS is that using a targeted killing procedure is an operational tool when a terrorist poses an immediate threat to carry out further attacks. Targeted killing is used only when there is no possibility of using another mode of action to arrest a wanted person, or when such activity has a level of risk is high for the forces and has the potential to cause an escalation in the area. Therefore, action in the heart of the city of Nablus may result in fighting between IDF forces and armed Palestinian activists.
After the Protective Wall operation and due to the freedom of action of the IDF forces in the heart of the Palestinian cities, Israel stopped using targeted assassinations more than 15 years ago, so that such an action attributed to Israel is a rare matter. This is unlike in the Gaza Strip, where the reality is completely different. Recently Several urgent security discussions were called by Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and it is not impossible that in these discussions the security echelon received the green light to change the policy as part of the effort to stop the growing influence of the Gov Aryot organization in Nablus.
If Israel is indeed behind the action, a political level approval is required for this. Since this is a terrorist who does not belong to major terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad but to a new and local organization, the security system estimated that the operation could be carried out without leading to an escalation in the field and thus also strengthen the deterrence against the organization of the Lions’ Den, from which its people can understand that the security system can To get them even when they believe that their people are protected in the Kasbah of Nablus or in one of the refugee camps in the city.
In any case, following the calls for revenge for the assassination of al-Khilani, which is attributed to Israel, the high alert will be maintained in the coming days as well, when the most significant threat is shooting attacks on traffic routes targeting civilians and IDF forces, mainly in the Nablus area.
The security forces continued their efforts to arrest wanted persons, and during the night between Saturday and Sunday, nine wanted persons suspected of terrorism were arrested and transferred to the Shin Bet investigation. In general, the arrest operations in various areas throughout the West Bank were relatively quiet and without special incidents.