West Bank arrests reveal homemade rocket tests

Six Palestinians from the Jenin area in the northern West Bank are in custody after security forces alleged they built a rocket for use against Israel.

The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police announced the arrests on Tuesday. The joint statement said the investigation found a network that manufactured one rocket and multiple explosive devices.

Authorities stated that the group completed at least three test launches. The primary suspect confessed to forming the cell and naming its members. He told investigators that the tests showed sufficient power and range. The suspect said the group adjusted their design after every trial to improve performance.

The statement noted that the cell received technical data on explosives through a messaging app. An outside source provided the information directly to the main suspect. A second suspect admitted to procuring the necessary materials.

Officers seized an assault rifle and an RPG during the raids. They also took written documents detailing instructions for building rockets and explosives. Prosecutors plan to file indictments for the six men within days.

Palestinian groups have attempted to launch crude rockets from the West Bank in recent years. Those previous efforts resulted in few successful impacts on Israeli territory or settlements.

Police also reported a separate capture in the village of Kafr Dan. Border Police officers raided a clothing store on Monday where a wanted man was hiding. The suspect, affiliated with the Fatah party, had avoided security forces for a long period.

Undercover officers surrounded the shop and called for the man to surrender. He exited with his hands raised and was arrested on the spot. Police detained the store owner on suspicion of harboring the fugitive.

Settler violence marked the same Tuesday. Extremist settlers set fire to two vehicles and an unoccupied building in the South Hebron Hills overnight. They painted the Hebrew slogan Evictions equal chaos on the structure. No injuries were reported in that incident.

Fires also broke out at several vehicles in the village of Majdal Bani Fadil near Nablus. That same week, security forces arrested 18 settlers who clashed with troops during the evacuation of an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank.

Settler attacks on Palestinians have increased sharply this year. The frequency rose further in the weeks before last week’s election. That vote ended inconclusively, leaving no clear path for either side to form a government.

International criticism of the surge has grown. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the violence as the work of a small number of delinquents from outside the West Bank. Critics argue the government condones the actions. The Israeli military faces scrutiny for its handling of the attacks and its prosecution records.