IDF arrests suspect over Bat Yam and Holon bus bombings

All of the bombings in February occurred in parked, empty buses across the two cities located south of Tel Aviv. There were no injuries as the explosions were apparently mistimed, going off before the buses took on any passengers.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to conduct a “massive” counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank.

In March, Israeli forces arrested the man who allegedly planted the bomb on the bus in Bat Yam after discovering he was inside the Green Line illegally.

In a separate overnight raid in Nablus on Wednesday, Israel Border Police officers arrested two people, including an alleged member of the Iranian-backed Lions’ Den terrorist organisation, police said.

Undercover Border Police operatives arrested the man, who is suspected of carrying out attacks on the country’s security forces, after he escaped from custody some two years ago, the statement said.

“The undercover forces arrived in disguise at the multi-story building where he was hiding,” it said. “After he tried to escape, hid in a storage room and resisted arrest, he was detained by the undercover forces.”

In the second operation in Nablus, the undercover officers arrested another wanted Palestinian suspected of terrorist activities.

There were no casualties among security forces, the statement added.

Also on Thursday, the Israel Police announced it arrested three suspected ISIS terrorists from eastern Jerusalem who had allegedly planned to carry out an attack using a car bomb at a checkpoint in the Jewish state’s capital.

Criminal charges are expected to be filed against the suspects once the investigation concludes in the coming weeks, police added.