Armed activity in northern Judea and Samaria involves Hamas and Islamic Jihad members as well as locally named formations, including the Jenin Battalion and Lions’ Den in Nablus. These labels do not necessarily describe a single unified command. Membership, alliances, and operational control can vary by place and time. January 2025 Jenin operation report.
What documented operations show
In August 2024, the IDF said forces operating in Nur Shams found and destroyed roadside explosives and seized an M16 rifle and other weapons from a vehicle in Tulkarm. The IDF account of the operation also identified Mohammed Jabar, known as Abu Shujaa, as head of a terrorist organization in Nur Shams. These are official operational reports and should be read as such.
Israeli forces have also reported raids and arrests in Jenin and Nablus. In January 2025, the IDF said an operation in Jenin located dozens of weapons and explosives. Such releases provide dated examples of armed activity; they do not independently establish that every camp or civilian institution is controlled by an armed faction.
Local networks and outside support
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are organized factions with networks beyond these cities, while locally branded groups can draw recruits from multiple backgrounds. Public evidence of a particular seizure or arrest does not by itself prove direct foreign command. Claims about Iranian financing or weapons transfers should be tied to a named investigation, seizure, or official finding. See the evidence on weapons and Iranian support and Israeli operations.