Hamas, the terrorist group that exercises complete military and political control over the Gaza Strip, has claimed the suspect in last week’s murder of Rabbi Raziel Shevach is a member of the organization, The Times of Israel reported Thursday.

In a shootout that ensued overnight Wednesday in Jenin after Israeli security forces surrounded the terror cell believed to have been responsible for last week’s terror attack, two border policemen were wounded, one terrorist was killed and another captured. The two wounded policemen have been taken to an undisclosed hospital. Police units remained in the area in search of additional suspects.

“Shortly after midnight we surrounded the area and cordoned it off, Yamam units moved in, and shots were fired,” Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said Thursday morning. “In the gun battle that took place, two Yamam officers were wounded – one seriously and one lightly – and one of the terrorists was shot and killed, while the second terrorist was captured.”

Hamas at first identified the terrorist who was killed as Ahmad Nassar Jarrar, 22, claiming that he was a member of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. A statement released by the terrorist group said, “We mourn the Qassam fighter Ahmad Nassar Jarrar, who was martyred in a heroic battle for the Qassam Brigades.”

Later Hamas said that it was a man with a similar name, Ahmad Ismail Muhammad Jarrar, 31. who had been killed in the shootout with Israeli forces. Israel has not yet released the identity of the terrorist who was killed overnight.

Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, released a statement saying that Hamas would continue to attempt terror attacks against Israelis, “The Jenin cell is not the first nor will it be the last. The role of the criminals of the security coordination [the Palestinian Authority] will not succeed in preventing the resistance from confronting [US President Donald] Trump’s decision and from protecting Jerusalem.”

[Photo: Israel Defense Forces / Twitter]