Wednesday morning Israeli forces entered the Palestinian city of Shechem (Nablus) to arrest three terrorists. Although the IDF usually makes arrests at night, this time the soldiers entered during daylight hours. An inside source told us that they had been waiting for accurate intelligence of the terrorists’ location and didn’t want to lose their opportunity. 11 terrorists were killed in the resulting battle, mostly by snipers, and over 100 more were injured; the IDF reported no injuries.

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad both promised retribution. Two attempted terrorist attacks have since been foiled, and 6 rockets were shot from Gaza at Israeli border communities, prompting an IDF attack on Hamas assets in the Gaza strip.

Last month, a similar firefight in Jenin between the IDF and Palestinian terrorists led to two back-to-back deadly terror attacks in Jerusalem, and many are concerned that yesterday’s exchange could lead to similar results. IDF forces in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are on high alert. With Ramadan only a month away, the IDF is already preparing for the possible further escalation which generally accompanies the month of fasting.

Please pray for peace. Please pray that no terror or rocket attacks would be launched in response to the operation. Lastly, please pray for continued wisdom for Israeli leaders and strength for security forces.