In a targeted raid in Western Gaza City, a joint force from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency captured Moein Al-Arabid, the head of Hamas’s internal security and intelligence apparatus, according to Israeli officials. The operation, which took place near Al-Arabid’s home, marks a significant intelligence breakthrough for Israel, which has been hunting senior Hamas figures throughout the ongoing conflict.
Al-Arabid, often described as the leader of the “Palestinian Shin Bet,” was apprehended as part of an effort to dismantle Hamas’s command structure in northern Gaza. The IDF announced the capture on social media, stating that the operation was aimed at removing threats posed by Hamas in the area and that Al-Arabid had recently worked to consolidate Hamas’s control and advance terrorist activities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the arrest, accusing Al-Arabid of playing a central role in managing internal intelligence, directing counter-intelligence, protecting senior Hamas leadership, and, critically, hiding and relocating Israeli hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 massacre. Israeli officials further alleged that Al-Arabid, a former member of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, had been attempting to rebuild the group’s operational capabilities and restore its administrative governance in Gaza.
A Window into Hamas’s Security Architecture
The capture provides Israel with an unprecedented opportunity to interrogate a senior figure who oversaw Hamas’s internal security and its hostage-network infrastructure. Intelligence gathered from Al-Arabid could help Israeli forces locate remaining captives and dismantle the elaborate tunnel and safehouse systems used to conceal them. Analysts say the information could also expose the broader network of operatives who planned and executed the October 7 attacks.
The IDF’s announcement emphasized the importance of securing such high-level intelligence, especially in light of the documented atrocities of October 7. The military has preserved the full magnitude of the assault in a 47-minute unedited compilation film, Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre, assembled by reservists Yuval Horowitz and Matan Harel-Fisch. The raw footage, drawn entirely from GoPro cameras worn by terrorists, civilian dashcams, home security systems, and victims’ cell phones, offers what officials describe as undeniable courtroom evidence of the violence.
The film captures terrorists firing point-blank into civilian vehicles, setting homes ablaze to force families out, and in one harrowing CCTV sequence, throwing a grenade into a bomb shelter where a father had led his young sons—killing the father and leaving the children wounded as the attacker loots their home. Other scenes show victims executed, disfigured, and paraded through Gaza to cheering crowds, with militants filming and celebrating their actions in real time.
Report Documents Systematic Sexual Violence
A landmark report released in May 2026 by the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes further illuminated the systematic nature of the violence. Based on more than 1,800 hours of analysis, the commission concluded that Hamas used sexual and gender-based violence as a calculated weapon of war. Investigators identified 13 distinct patterns of abuse, including gang rapes at the Supernova music festival, sexual torture, postmortem mutilation, and what they termed “kinocidal” acts—forcing family members to abuse each other.
The report cited Arabic-to-Hebrew phrasebooks recovered from dead militants, which contained explicit commands such as “take off your pants,” as evidence that sexual violence was premeditated and planned. The commission’s findings added to the growing body of documentation that has shaped international calls for accountability.
The apprehension of Al-Arabid is seen as a major victory for Israeli intelligence, with officials expressing hope that his interrogation will yield vital insights to dismantle Hamas’s remaining networks. While the full scope of the intelligence gathered has not been disclosed, the capture underscores Israel’s ongoing efforts to target senior Hamas figures as the war continues.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-captures-top-hamas-intel-chief-behind-hostage-operations