An air raid by Israeli forces on a transport vehicle positioned in the West Bank, an area under Israeli control, resulted in the death of five Palestinians, as reported by both Palestinian press outlets and Israel’s military. This incident is part of a rising surge of hostility in the disputed Israeli-held area.
The Israeli defence forces acknowledged that during the early hours of Saturday, they launched a strike on a vehicle transporting five activists in the countryside to the northwest of Tulkarem city, situated in the northwest West Bank. This attack was conducted as these individuals were ostensibly preparing to execute an assault.
The detonation transpired on a main road connecting the Palestinian settlements of Zeita and Qaffin, as corroborated by eyewitnesses and a journalist from the Associated Press. Taiser Abdullah, a dweller of Zeita, recounted his experience of hearing the blast occurring close to his dwelling while he was heading to work in the morning.
According to Wafa, the official Palestinian news network, the five deceased Palestinians were conveyed to a hospital in the vicinity. It reported that the corpses of four of them were “charred and scorched to an unidentifiable state.”
The Palestinian health department is yet to provide a statement regarding these fatalities.
The Palestinian health authorities have stated that since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza last October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 590 Palestinians in the West Bank. The majority of these fatalities have occurred during Israeli search operations and violent manifestations, with victims also including uninvolved bystanders and Palestinians slain by assaults from Israeli settlers.
Over the past ten months, the northern West Bank has been a hub for some of the most intense clashes in the region.
Tulkarem, in addition to the two refugee camps it contains, has become a significant hotspot for turmoil in this disputed region, with Israeli military forces conducting regular raids. Furthermore, Tulkarem remains a hub of activity for Palestinian militant factions such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
This assault occurred in close succession to the alleged murders of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on the preceding Wednesday, and top Hizbullah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on the earlier evening, further heightening tensions and risking the possibility of precipitating a full-scale regional conflict.
In response to these recent events, Iran and its affiliates, including Hizbullah, have assured retaliation. Major global airlines have suspended their flight services to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Beirut, Lebanon.
Israel has confirmed its liability for the demise of Mr Shukr, however, it remains ambiguous about its involvement in the planned termination of Mr Haniyeh. In a report that emerged late on Friday, the Pentagon stated that a squadron of combat jets from the US military will be relocated to the Middle East. Moreover, an aircraft carrier will remain stationed in the region. Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel was encouraged by US President, Joe Biden, the day prior to seize an opportunity to initiate a truce with Hamas. President Biden also noted that the termination of Mr Haniyeh in Iran had presented complications to the efforts aimed at negotiating a resolution to the ongoing conflict. The israel-Hamas war, incited by a harsh attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, has resulted in the death of nearly 39,480 Palestinians within Gaza over the course of almost 10 months.