Hamas arrests nine Islamic State operatives in connection with Gaza bombing

Security forces in the Gaza Strip on Thursday arrested nine members of the terror cell involved in two suicide bombings that targeted police checkpoints late on Tuesday, killing three policemen and wounding two others.

Palestinian sources in Gaza informed i24NEWS Arabic that Hamas security personnel apprehended a total of nine people linked to the suicide bombings, adding that “all of them are from the Islamic Jihad from Shujaiyya,” referring to the central Gaza City neighborhood.

Not all of the cell members were directly involved in the attack or had known about it, the sources said.

Among the nine in custody is “a senior member of the missile unit while the others are regular recruits,” an anonymous source said, adding that most of them subscribe to the ideology of the Islamic State group.

During the operation, “small arms, pistols, Kalashnikovs [rifles], laptops and hand grenades were confiscated,” the private sources were cited as saying, and “three other explosive belts were seized.”

Hamas said that it will hand the bodies of the victims over to their families.

Channel 13 News reported that Palestinian sources claim the prisoners have been subjected to physical abuse in detention by the Strip’s ruling Hamas group.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh visited the sites of the suicide bombings and met with police officers following the deadly explosions.

Source: Israel Hayom