Israel's military announced on Thursday that it had killed five Palestinian militants, including an Islamic Jihad commander, during an exchange of fire in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem. The firefight occurred within and near a mosque, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirming the death of Muhhamad Jabber, also known as Abu Shujaa, the leader of the local branch of Islamic Jihad.
The IDF stated that Jabber had been responsible for several terror attacks, including a fatal shooting in the city of Qalqilya in June. The Islamic Jihad later confirmed Jabber's death, identifying him as the commander of the Tulkarem Battalion of the Al-Quds Brigades.
According to Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the IDF's international spokesperson, the four other individuals killed were associated with Jabber's terror network, with one additional person apprehended. The IDF reported a total of 12 terrorists killed during its operations in Jenin and Tulkarem, along with the dismantling of numerous explosive devices planted under roads.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz had called for a Gaza-style operation in the West Bank to combat what he described as an 'Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructure.' The military action followed warnings of Iran's efforts to establish an 'eastern front' against Israel, in coordination with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over Israel's operations in the West Bank, condemning the loss of lives, including children, and calling for an immediate cessation of the military activities.
Clashes in the West Bank have escalated since Israel's response to Hamas' attack on southern Israel in October. The region has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, with ongoing expansion of Jewish settlements considered illegal under international law. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported significant casualties, with 652 Palestinians, including 150 children, killed and over 5,400 injured in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem since the recent escalation of violence.
