The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) successfully apprehended terrorist Ayman Ghanam on Wednesday night at a hospital in Nablus, the military confirmed.
Ghanam, a key member of a terror cell responsible for the deadly August shooting attack in the West Bank, was captured alive after an earlier attempt to eliminate him ended in failure.
According to the IDF, Ghanam was critically wounded in an ISA-directed airstrike on Tuesday in the Jordan Valley’s Aqabah region.
The strike, intended to eliminate the terrorist, failed to kill him, prompting his evacuation to a medical facility in Nablus. Security forces swiftly acted to arrest him after his hospitalization.
The August shooting attack, in which Yonatan Deutsch was killed and 32-year-old Anas Jaramana was wounded, was attributed to Ghanam’s terror cell. Since then, Ghanam had been actively leading plans for further attacks against Israeli civilians, according to military reports.
The IDF emphasized that the operation was meticulously planned with precautions taken to avoid harm to patients and medical staff at the hospital.
“The capture of Ghanam was carried out with full regard for the safety of those on site, ensuring no harm came to innocent civilians or medical personnel,” an IDF spokesperson stated.
Ghanam’s arrest follows a string of successful military operations targeting individuals involved in the attack on Deutsch. Earlier this month, Abd al-Ra’uf Masri, another member of the terror cell, was killed during an exchange of fire with Israeli forces.
Masri had also been involved in the August shooting, and military personnel recovered M-16 rifles, cartridges, and military equipment from his body after his death.
This arrest is part of the IDF’s continued efforts to dismantle terror cells operating in the West Bank, with a particular focus on those responsible for violence against Israeli civilians. The military confirmed that Ghanam’s cell had been plotting further attacks, making his capture a significant success in thwarting additional threats.
In addition, the IDF reported that earlier this week, West Bank terrorist Wael Lahluh, who was believed to be the head of the cell responsible for the murder of Deutsch, was eliminated in an aerial strike. Lahluh’s death came after multiple successful operations targeting other terror leaders in the region.
The capture of Ghanam is seen as a critical step in neutralizing ongoing threats from terrorist cells in the West Bank. The IDF and ISA have vowed to continue their operations, working closely together to ensure the safety of Israeli civilians and prevent future attacks.
Ghanam’s arrest brings some closure to the tragic shooting in August, but it also highlights the ongoing security challenges in the region. The Israeli military remains committed to neutralizing terror threats, with continued operations expected as part of their broader strategy to protect Israeli citizens from violent extremism.