Shin Bet agents capture Hamas' Gaza internal security chief in daring daytime raid

The head of Hamas’ internal security in Gaza was captured by Shin Bet agents working together with the IDF in a daring daytime raid inside Gaza City on Tuesday. 

Palestinian media and online social media accounts first reported the events when a firefight broke out inside Gaza City. 

The Palestinian media claimed that the Israeli team operating in the city became exposed, forcing the IDF to provide artillery support for the team’s safe extraction. 

However, in a statement released on Tuesday evening, the IDF disputed that account, saying the Israel Air Force “carried out focused strikes on several military targets” in support of the operation. 

The military said that despite Palestinian reports of injuries to the Israeli team in the firefight, “there are no casualties on our side.” 

‼️⭕APPREHENDED: The Head of Hamas’ Internal Security in Gaza, as part of a targeted operation to remove threats posed by Hamas in northern Gaza.

The apprehended terrorist has recently worked to consolidate Hamas' control over northern Gaza and to advance terrorist attacks…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 1, 2026

In announcing the arrest of Muin al-Arabid, a senior figure in Hamas’ internal security and counterintelligence apparatus in Gaza City, the military acknowledged the support of local anti-Hamas militias, saying no IDF soldiers entered Gaza City. 

At the same time, several Hermes 450 unmanned aerial attack drones conducted strikes in support of the operation.

Shin Bet had been tracking al-Arabid for some time, mapping his daily routines, and identifying locations he frequented. 

After locating a vulnerability in al-Arabid’s schedule, the hours long operation was launched, with Shin Bet agents and local militia forces entering Gaza City in a white van to apprehend him. 

Al-Arabid was injured in the operation, and taken to Israel for treatment and questioning by Shin Bet and Israel intelligence agencies. 

According to reports in Hebrew media, al-Arabid was transferred under heavy security to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, where he underwent surgery, and is being treated for injuries to his lower limbs. 

In a post about the capture, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said al-Arabid “is one of the most senior Hamas leaders, and was responsible for concealing and transporting our hostages, for hiding senior Hamas figures, and for building the organization's strength and attempting to restore its capabilities as a terrorist group.” 

“Recently, he was engaged in efforts to restore Hamas' governance in Gaza, in deception regarding the demilitarization of the Strip, and in assisting the execution of terrorist attacks against our forces and civilians,” Netanyahu added. 

An Israeli raid inside Gaza’s Hamas‑controlled “red zone” resulted in the capture of Mo'in al‑Arabid, the head of Hamas’s Internal Security Service. Al‑Arabid has long been tied to some of the group’s worst abuses against Palestinians: torture, intimidation, disappearances,… pic.twitter.com/nQkBajezJI

— Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (@afalkhatib) September 1, 2026

In a video posted by Al Jazeera commentator Saeed Ziyad, the Shin Bet forces can be seen arriving in a white van after the airstrikes started, and apparently shooting and neutralizing al-Arabid. 

An Israeli account called Captain Abu Omar posted a picture to its Instagram account, which it claimed showed al-Arabid at the moment of his detainment. 

“We come to you in your own home,” the post says in Arabic alongside an Israeli flag, “and what’s coming next is even bigger.” 

Hamas’ internal security and counterintelligence apparatus is also responsible for identifying and punishing those accused of collaborating with Israel.