Attack thwarted by Israeli airstrike in northern West Bank results in 5 fatalities, military reports

ZEITA, West Bank — Nine Palestinian militants were killed by two Israeli airstrikes in the northern West Bank on Saturday, as violence erupted once again in the Israeli-occupied territory with tensions high over the conflict in Gaza.

The Israeli military stated that its forces initially targeted a vehicle in a rural area northwest of the city of Tulkarem in the early morning, resulting in the deaths of the five occupants. The army claimed that they were en route to carry out an assault.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that the bodies of the men were transported to a nearby hospital. Hamas later identified all five as militants associated with the organization, including a local leader.

According to a journalist from the Associated Press and witnesses, the explosion occurred along a road that connects the Palestinian villages of Zeita and Qaffin.

“Upon arriving at the location, we discovered a young man who had been martyred here on the street, with half of his face missing,” said Taiser Abdullah, a resident of Zeita who mentioned that he was on his way to work when he heard the nearby explosion.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa mentioned that four of the bodies were “burned and charred beyond recognition.”

Subsequently, the Israeli military confirmed that it had eliminated four other Palestinian militants in the Tulkarem region shortly after they engaged in gunfire with Israeli troops operating in the area. No additional details were immediately provided.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, over 590 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli actions in the West Bank since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in Gaza in October. The majority of these casualties occurred during Israeli incursions and violent demonstrations, but also included innocent bystanders and Palestinians who were victims of attacks by Jewish settlers.

The northern West Bank has witnessed some of the most severe violence in the region over the past 10 months. Tulkarem, with its two refugee camps, has emerged as a key hotspot and is frequently targeted by Israeli forces. Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are active in the city.

This incident occurred following the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran early Wednesday and top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut the previous evening. The escalation poses a risk of escalating into a full-scale regional conflict.

Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, have pledged to retaliate against Israel, which has claimed responsibility for Shukur’s death but has not confirmed or denied its involvement in Haniyeh’s assassination. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard alleged that a short-range projectile caused Haniyeh’s demise and accused the United States of backing the attack.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced that the U.S. military would deploy a squadron of fighter jets to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region.

The day before, President Joe Biden disclosed that he had encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue a truce with Hamas, stating that Haniyeh’s killing had hindered efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict. Netanyahu has vowed to dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capacities.

In Gaza, at least 39,550 Palestinians have lost their lives in the nearly 10 months since Hamas initiated their latest war with Israel on Oct. 7. This figure, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, includes both civilians and combatants, as the ministry does not distinguish between the two. Israel has accused Hamas of hiding among the civilian population, placing them in danger.

The majority of Gaza’s approximately 2.3 million residents have been displaced, with many individuals forced to move multiple times as Israel’s military revisits areas where Hamas fighters have regrouped. Essential services and sanitation have significantly deteriorated across the region, leading to increased hunger.

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Jeffery reported from Ramallah, West Bank.

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