IDF soldiers on an arrest raid in the West Bank. Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

The IDF and Shin Bet has arrested members of a West Bank Hamas-linked terror cell operating out of a major Palestinian university, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman announced on Tuesday.

The IDF said that the terror cell was composed of 11 members of the “Islamic Bloc,” organization at An-Najah National University in Nablus.

The Islamic Bloc is widespread in the Palestinian Authority higher education system and has strong connections to Hamas.

The cell was involved in transfer of funds, organizing rallies in support of Hamas, and conducting campaigns to incite others to commit terrorist acts. These activities took place under the supervision and direction of senior Hamas officials, the IDF said.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that, in recent years, several terror cells have been exposed that included members who belonged to the Islamic Bloc at An-Najah.

A Shin Bet operation in November arrested over 50 members of a Hamas cell in the West Bank and Jerusalem suspected of planning terror attacks, the agency said, after several months of planning.