Police arrested three suspects for being involved in the infiltration and vandalism in the Givot Bar community in the Negev on Friday, authorities announced on Saturday.
The suspects were arrested within hours after they infiltrated the community on Friday night, smashing the windows of parked vehicles and setting many of them on fire, Israel Police said.
Prior to this incident, officers from the Rahat station and members of the Sahar Brigade had raided criminal targets in the nearby Bedouin village of Tarabin, arresting five suspects, Israeli media reported.
One officer was lightly injured during the operation, according to police. Following the raid on Tarabin and allegedly in response to it, two suspects, who are residents of the village, carried out what authorities described as “revenge attacks,” causing damage to “dozens of vehicles.”
Shin Bet working with Israel Police in investigation
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) is also involved in the investigation into the incident alongside the police, according to Ynet.
Police have said that operational activity in Tarabin is continuing in the wake of these incidents, and that suspects have been arrested for disorderly conduct and involvement in violent incidents, and forces are conducting raids on additional criminal targets.
During the infiltration into Givot Bar, one resident told Walla that the men invaded the settlement after cutting a hole in the security fence.
Yanir Yagna contributed to this report.