Israel launches fresh strikes and assassinations in West Bank
The IDF has initiated a major “counterterrorism operation” following a thwarted suicide bombing attempt in Tel Aviv. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The IDF has initiated a major “counterterrorism operation” following a thwarted suicide bombing attempt in Tel Aviv.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel has killed approximately a dozen suspected militants through a series of airstrikes and raids in the occupied West Bank, along with an assassination near the Syrian-Lebanese border. These operations reportedly targeted members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
The operation commenced in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the West Bank settlements of Jenin and Tulkarm. The IDF announced that three “armed terrorists” were killed in an airstrike in Jenin, while two additional suspects were killed by ground troops in Tulkarm. The IDF also reported that an unspecified number of individuals were arrested during the operation.
In a separate airstrike on Far’a, a large refugee camp located about 30 kilometers east of Tulkarm, another four alleged “terrorists” were killed. The Palestinian Authority, which has autonomous governance over parts of the West Bank, confirmed the casualty figures reported by Israel.
This raid was a direct response to a suicide bombing attempt in Tel Aviv last week, for which Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a smaller militant faction operating in both Gaza and the West Bank, claimed responsibility. The bombing resulted in the death of the bomber, whose explosive device reportedly detonated prematurely.
While Israel's military focus in the conflict with Hamas has generally centered on Gaza—where the militant group has a substantial presence—the IDF has conducted over 60 airstrikes in the West Bank since October of last year. During this period, Israeli security forces have reportedly arrested nearly 5,000 individuals within the territory.
According to the Palestinian Authority, over 650 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank during the same timeframe, in contrast to Gaza, where the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 40,000, according to the health ministry in the enclave. The UN recognizes the accuracy of Palestinian casualty figures but notes that they do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
On Monday, an Israeli drone strike in Tulkarm also reportedly resulted in the deaths of five people.
In an unrelated announcement on Wednesday afternoon, the IDF reported the death of Faris Qasim, identified as a “significant terrorist” in the PIJ, due to an Israeli airstrike near the Lebanese-Syrian border. The IDF stated that an unknown number of “additional Islamic Jihad terrorists” were also killed in the operation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has urged the government to escalate its campaign in the West Bank. In a social media post, he characterized the operation in the area as “a war in every sense” and called on West Jerusalem to confront the threat just as it does with terror infrastructure in Gaza, including the potential temporary evacuation of Palestinian civilians and any necessary actions.
Since the initiation of strikes against Gaza last October, the civilian population there has received multiple evacuation orders. Nonetheless, in many instances, Israeli forces have targeted locations that were previously marked as safe, leading the UN to describe the evacuation policy as exacerbating “mass suffering for Palestinian families, many of whom have been displaced again and again.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel has killed approximately a dozen suspected militants through a series of airstrikes and raids in the occupied West Bank, along with an assassination near the Syrian-Lebanese border. These operations reportedly targeted members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
The operation commenced in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the West Bank settlements of Jenin and Tulkarm. The IDF announced that three “armed terrorists” were killed in an airstrike in Jenin, while two additional suspects were killed by ground troops in Tulkarm. The IDF also reported that an unspecified number of individuals were arrested during the operation.
In a separate airstrike on Far’a, a large refugee camp located about 30 kilometers east of Tulkarm, another four alleged “terrorists” were killed. The Palestinian Authority, which has autonomous governance over parts of the West Bank, confirmed the casualty figures reported by Israel.
This raid was a direct response to a suicide bombing attempt in Tel Aviv last week, for which Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a smaller militant faction operating in both Gaza and the West Bank, claimed responsibility. The bombing resulted in the death of the bomber, whose explosive device reportedly detonated prematurely.
While Israel's military focus in the conflict with Hamas has generally centered on Gaza—where the militant group has a substantial presence—the IDF has conducted over 60 airstrikes in the West Bank since October of last year. During this period, Israeli security forces have reportedly arrested nearly 5,000 individuals within the territory.
According to the Palestinian Authority, over 650 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank during the same timeframe, in contrast to Gaza, where the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 40,000, according to the health ministry in the enclave. The UN recognizes the accuracy of Palestinian casualty figures but notes that they do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
On Monday, an Israeli drone strike in Tulkarm also reportedly resulted in the deaths of five people.
In an unrelated announcement on Wednesday afternoon, the IDF reported the death of Faris Qasim, identified as a “significant terrorist” in the PIJ, due to an Israeli airstrike near the Lebanese-Syrian border. The IDF stated that an unknown number of “additional Islamic Jihad terrorists” were also killed in the operation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has urged the government to escalate its campaign in the West Bank. In a social media post, he characterized the operation in the area as “a war in every sense” and called on West Jerusalem to confront the threat just as it does with terror infrastructure in Gaza, including the potential temporary evacuation of Palestinian civilians and any necessary actions.
Since the initiation of strikes against Gaza last October, the civilian population there has received multiple evacuation orders. Nonetheless, in many instances, Israeli forces have targeted locations that were previously marked as safe, leading the UN to describe the evacuation policy as exacerbating “mass suffering for Palestinian families, many of whom have been displaced again and again.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
