The operation began overnight with Israeli forces encircling the targeted villages. Before ground forces moved in, the Israeli Air Force carried out precise strikes to isolate the area.
By The IDF Club
Israeli security forces, including the IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police, launched a large-scale counterterrorism mission overnight in northern Samaria as part of Operation Five Stones, the military announced Wednesday morning.
The operation, led by the Commando Brigade, the Samaria Brigade, and the Menashe Brigade, targets a cluster of five villages where intelligence revealed that terrorist organizations have been attempting to rebuild infrastructure and prepare imminent attacks.
The IDF stressed that Operation Five Stones is a crucial effort to dismantle terrorist strongholds before they can take root. “We will not allow terrorist infrastructure to develop in the region and are acting proactively to prevent it,” the military said, underscoring the necessity of the campaign to protect Israeli civilians and soldiers.
The operation began overnight with Israeli forces encircling the targeted villages. Before ground forces moved in, the Israeli Air Force carried out precise strikes to isolate the area, cutting off escape routes and weakening militant positions. Following the aerial phase, combined IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police units entered the villages, launching broad searches, questioning suspects, and securing key locations.
So far, troops have scanned approximately 100 sites across the operation zone. Dozens of suspects have been detained and are now being interrogated by intelligence officers. Forces uncovered a camera command room used to track IDF movements, as well as an Airsoft firearm and tens of thousands of shekels in terror funds, all of which were seized.
Security personnel continue to comb through additional buildings, with the operation expected to expand as forces press forward.
Operation Five Stones follows two earlier precision raids this week in Nablus and Jenin, where Duvdevan, Yamam, and Shin Bet units eliminated three terrorists involved in deadly attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians, and arrested several accomplices. These actions closed months-long manhunts and removed dangerous operatives before they could strike again.
The IDF and Shin Bet said they will continue to operate proactively and decisively to prevent terrorist entrenchment in northern Samaria and to eliminate any threat to the people of Israel.
