Israeli strike kills three in West Bank; Israel says it targeted Hamas operative

On Friday, Israel conducted a rare air strike in the occupied West Bank, resulting in the death of a Hamas operative and two accomplices. The strike targeted a car near Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank. The Israeli military infrequently employs air power within this Palestinian territory, which has been under military occupation since 1967.

Hamas expressed condemnation of the strike but did not officially confirm the target, identifying him as Qais Bitawi, as a member of their organization. The West Bank has witnessed an increase in militant actions by Israeli settlers targeting Palestinians, alongside military incursions into Palestinian towns. The northern West Bank, encompassing Jenin, experienced a significant Israeli assault last year, which the military claimed targeted militant strongholds.

Bitawi was alleged by the Israeli military to have directed attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces, while maintaining connections with Hamas members in Gaza and abroad. The Palestine Red Crescent reported that Israeli ground forces raided the location of the drone strike, briefly detaining medical personnel and obstructing the transportation of the wounded and deceased to hospitals.

Israel's military has not yet commented on this claim. Israel's Minister of Defence, Israel Katz, announced that the military would maintain a permanent presence in Jenin, citing the "aggressive and proactive policy" aimed at eliminating terror strongholds and thwarting their people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for the army's actions, praising the "successful thwarting of the terrorists in Jenin."

The Israeli military's 2025 operations in the northern West Bank led to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians, as forces dismantled refugee camps and extended their longest continuous presence in certain West Bank cities in decades. Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity due to forced expulsions, a claim Israel denies.

In Gaza, where the United States is attempting to negotiate a deal to disarm Hamas militants in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from the territory, at least five Palestinians were killed in three Israeli strikes on Friday. These incidents included a strike near Deir Al Balah that claimed the lives of three individuals from the same family, a motorcycle attack in Gaza city that killed one person, and another strike in Gaza city that resulted in the death of another individual. The Israeli military has not yet provided a response to these strikes.