Israeli Forces Capture Hamas Cell with Rocket in West Bank

Israeli forces apprehended a cell of ten Hamas operatives in the West Bank on Sunday, confiscating weapons including an M16 rifle, materials for bomb-making, and a rocket. The operation involved elite units from the Yamam counter-terrorism unit, the Duvdevan Unit, and soldiers from the 890th and 50th battalions.

The discovery of the rocket is particularly significant, highlighting ongoing efforts by Hamas to develop rocket-firing capabilities from the West Bank. This incident follows a September 2025 operation near Ramallah where Israeli security forces dismantled a Hamas cell involved in rocket production and attempted launches. In that operation, 14 rockets were found, some ready for firing.

This latest capture is part of a broader pattern of disrupting Hamas infrastructure in the West Bank. In March, another Hamas cell of ten operatives was exposed in the village of Beitah in Samaria. According to the Shin Bet, that cell had been active for approximately two years, carrying out attacks against IDF forces and planning further operations, including the kidnapping of a local Jewish resident. Weapons, including M16s and explosives, were seized from that group.