Israelis arrest terrorist suspects in Gaza

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Israeli forces destroyed two buildings and arrested suspected terrorists overnight Friday in the central Gaza town of Deir El-Balah in response to a deadly attack on its forces a day earlier near the Gaza-Israel border, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

During the incursion, the forces arrested Mehr Hadir al-Bashir, the head of the Islamic Jihad organization in the Palestinian town, as well as three of his brothers who are members of militant Hezbollah organization, according to Palestinian sources.

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Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a militant group dedicated to the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel. The U.S. and Israel consider the Lebanon-based Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

The IDF confirmed the report, saying the men were suspected of terrorist activity.

The Israeli forces also arrested two Palestinians suspected of operating several weapons factories discovered during the Israeli raid, the IDF said.

The forces destroyed an office belonging to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization after finding an explosive device and a large amount of documents inside the building, the IDF said.

Israeli forces also detonated a building housing four weapons workshops used to manufacture mortars and Kassam rockets, which the IDF said were to be used against Israeli citizens.

There were no reports of casualties in the operation. The forces have since pulled out of Deir El-Balah.

The IDF said the incursion was in response to an attack at the Kissufim crossing Thursday morning, when an explosive device detonated near several Israeli tanks, killing one Israeli soldier and injuring another.

An Israeli army officer also was killed in northern Gaza and another soldier was wounded early Thursday when a Palestinian gunman opened fire on them, sources said.

Earlier Friday, Israeli attack helicopters launched a strike on a Palestinian metalworking shop in the central Gaza city of Khan Younis, the Israel Defense Forces said. No casualties were reported.