Shin Bet captures Hamas internal security chief Mu’in al-Arabid

Israeli security agency Shin Bet has captured Mu’in al-Arabid, the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus in the Gaza Strip. Officials have described al-Arabid as an ‘intelligence gold mine’ and report that he is currently cooperating with interrogators, providing information regarding Hamas’s weapons, personnel, and infrastructure.

The operation involved months of preparation and undercover activity. Shin Bet operatives reportedly embedded themselves in Gaza by establishing small humanitarian aid projects, such as distributing food and drink, to build relationships with local market stall owners. These operatives used these connections to recruit local informants to monitor the movements of high-level Hamas figures.

Reports indicate that during the final phase of the operation, operatives posed as aid workers to reach al-Arabid’s location. The capture, which involved a gunfight, was supported by the IDF and potentially utilized local anti-Hamas gangs. Hamas is reportedly attempting to reconstruct how the security chief was apprehended deep within the Gaza Strip.