Jerusalem Police Find Body in Bethlehem Valley; Suspect Freed From Home in Rahat
Authorities ruled out a terror motive in the death of an East Jerusalem resident and freed a man found shackled to his floor.
By Nour Haddad ·
Police confirmed on Monday that the body of an East Jerusalem man in his 40s was discovered in the Wadi Rahal area near Bethlehem. Forensic investigators and Israel Defense Forces personnel collected evidence at the scene before the body was transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. Officials stated that initial findings suggest the incident was criminal in nature rather than terror-related.
In a separate overnight operation on Sunday, security forces detained a Palestinian resident of the West Bank suspected of links to Hamas. Three suspects were arrested in total during the Bethlehem raids. Investigators searched the home of the suspected operative and one other resident believed to be in possession of illegal weapons.
Officers seized a loaded hunting rifle, IDF uniforms, and various technological items during the searches. The two suspects from Bethlehem were transferred to the Ma'ale Adumim police station. They face charges for carrying and possessing illegal weapons and unauthorized military equipment.
A third man in his 30s was arrested near Hebron on Sunday after being found with a hunting rifle and a large quantity of ammunition. Police and Border Police officers also uncovered a cache of stolen military equipment in Kalansuwa, a majority-Arab city in central Israel. The discovery led to two arrests during an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime in the Arab sector.
The seizure in Kalansuwa included one Kalashnikov rifle, three M-16 assault rifles, eight handguns, six fragmentation grenades, two stun grenades, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and three tactical vests. A police explosives expert secured the grenades at the site. Two family members present during the raid were taken in for questioning while the investigation continues.
In Rahat, police rescued a man during a weekend operation to confiscate illegal weapons. Officers found the man shackled to the floor of a home by his own family. Preliminary findings indicate the detention was related to his drug use. His brother, also a resident of Rahat, was arrested and taken to the local police station for questioning.
