Introduction

Israel mounted a daring operation deep into the Hamas enclave of Gaza City on September 1, 2026. Israeli aligned local forces captured a senior Hamas leader alive. The Israeli Defence Forces and Shin Bet working with their anti-Hamas local forces captured Muin al-Arabid, the head of Hamas’s internal security in Gaza City. al-Arabeed was captured in Gaza City, near the Katiba and Rimal areas. The success of extracting a protected high value target in daylight amidst a hostile population can be attributed to the integration of capabilities in intelligence and special operations.

Shin Bet’s local forces called the “special forces” raided a building near the home of al-Arabeed and took alive Moin al-Arabeed, while the Israeli Air Force struck nearby military targets to remove threats and protect the forces during the operation. No Israeli forces were wounded.

In broad daylight, Israel mounting such an undercover operation in Gaza capturing a high value target demonstrates the IDF and Shin Bet reliance on high-grade and high-quality intelligence.

The Context

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said al-Arabeed was one of Hamas’ most senior figures and was responsible for hiding and moving Israeli hostages, hiding senior Hamas leaders, and helping Hamas rebuild its capabilities in Gaza. He was engaged in attempts to restore Hamas’s governance in Gaza and in deception concerning the demilitarisation of the Strip.

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