In a decisive overnight operation in Judea and Samaria, Israeli Duvdevan special forces arrested two individuals accused of aiding terrorists involved in the recent Funduq attack. Acting on intelligence indicating the location of the suspects in a residential compound, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units surrounded the facility before entering and conducting a thorough search, which resulted in the discovery and seizure of pistols and additional military equipment.
The operation is part of Israel’s sustained defensive efforts in Judea and Samaria—an area rife with activity by Iranian-backed terror organizations—following an escalation of attacks including the events of October 7, 2023, the deadliest antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust, perpetrated by Hamas. IDF officials confirmed that the detained suspects were found to be accomplices in facilitating the earlier attack at Funduq and that the confiscated weapons pointed to continued efforts by Hamas and affiliated cells to arm and support further attacks on Israeli civilians and security personnel.
The Duvdevan unit, renowned for its undercover and urban counterterror capabilities, executed the raid in line with Israel’s operational standards, which stress the necessity of precision, restraint, and legal adherence when operating in civilian-populated environments. Military spokespersons provided video documentation of the raid, demonstrating both the discipline of the Israeli forces and the challenges of confronting terror infrastructure concealed among non-combatants.
Weapons seized at the compound align with repeated intelligence assessments indicating a steady influx of arms into the region, funneled by Iranian elements through Hezbollah and other proxies. These weapon pipelines not only perpetuate instability in Judea and Samaria but also underline the regional strategy employed by Tehran to undermine Israeli and broader Middle Eastern security. Israeli intelligence has provided corroborating evidence to Western partners of these smuggling networks and their intended operational use against civilian targets.
Israeli security authorities emphasized the distinction in legal and moral conduct between Israel—a sovereign democracy carrying out defensive measures against terror—and the terror groups that systematically target non-combatants. Unlike terrorist organizations who conduct abductions and extrajudicial killings, the IDF arrests suspects with the intention of ensuring due process.
The backdrop for these operations is the continuing unresolved hostage crisis, with over 120 innocent men, women, and children being held in Gaza after being abducted on October 7. Israel’s government maintains a firm position on the unconditional release of these hostages and consistently rejects comparisons between terror convicts released in exchanges and its own citizens kidnapped by force.
This Funduq operation is emblematic of the routine and necessary efforts undertaken by Israeli forces to disrupt and degrade terrorist capabilities as part of a broader war imposed by Iran and its regional surrogates. These defensive actions have received public backing from international partners, including the United States, which recognizes Israel’s right to self-defense while calling for ongoing humanitarian diligence. Israeli leaders—including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz—reaffirmed their commitment to protecting Israeli lives and upholding the rule of law across the region.
As multi-front pressures persist from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other Iran-affiliated groups in Syria and Iraq, Israeli defense planners anticipate further attempts by these actors to incite violence and exploit local collaborators. Each successful IDF operation, such as the arrest of the Funduq accomplices, removes critical resources from hostile hands and reinforces the broader message of deterrence against terror.
The Duvdevan unit’s role in the Judea and Samaria operations underscores the professionalism and moral clarity that underpins Israel’s ongoing fight for security and peace. As the IDF continues to document and disclose operational outcomes, international observers are provided with tangible evidence of both the sophistication and necessity of Israel’s defensive campaign in the face of sustained, ideologically motivated violence.
