Israeli army says it has killed three "terrorists" in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces conducted a rare air strike in the occupied West Bank on Friday, killing three individuals identified as militants in the Jenin area. According to the Israeli military, the operation targeted members of a dismantled militant network operating in the region. One of the deceased, named Qais Bitawi, was described by the military as a Hamas operative who had been involved in planning and executing attacks against Israeli civilians and security personnel. The military stated that Bitawi had maintained connections with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and with Hamas operatives abroad. The strike marked the first such aerial assault in the West Bank since February 2025, a period during which the region has largely avoided the extensive military operations seen in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. While ground operations and military raids are common in the West Bank, air strikes remain infrequent. The Israeli military confirmed that two of Bitawi’s accomplices were also killed in the attack, and weapons were discovered in their vehicle. The armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the three individuals, describing Bitawi as “one of the most prominent leaders of the Al-Quds Brigades in the West Bank.” This assertion contrasts with the Israeli military’s characterization of Bitawi as a Hamas operative. The discrepancy highlights the ongoing dispute over the identities and affiliations of militants in the region. Hamas condemned the Israeli air strike as a “massacre” and warned that the attack would provoke further resistance and escalation. The group expressed outrage over the use of aerial bombardment in the West Bank, a territory it considers occupied. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that Israeli forces had temporarily detained its medical teams at the scene of the attack, seizing their equipment and preventing them from providing aid to injured individuals. The operation fits into a broader military campaign known as “Iron Wall,” launched earlier this year to target refugee camps in the northern West Bank. This initiative, which began in early 2025, aims to dismantle Palestinian armed groups and secure control over key areas. As part of the operation, Israeli tanks were deployed in Jenin, a city historically associated with Palestinian militancy. The campaign has led to the displacement of approximately 40,000 residents from the affected refugee camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz praised the military action, emphasizing their government’s strategy of actively pursuing and eliminating threats rather than waiting for attacks to occur. Katz highlighted the effectiveness of the “aggressive and proactive policy” being pursued in the West Bank, stating that the operation demonstrated the ability to disrupt militant networks and neutralize their influence. Since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, tensions have escalated across the occupied territories. According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Authority data, at least 1,100 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers. Official Israeli statistics indicate that at least 48 Israeli citizens, both civilians and soldiers, have died in Palestinian attacks or during military operations in the same period. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank dates back to 1967, with the Oslo Accords granting the Palestinian Authority limited self-governance in the 1990s. However, the authority of the Palestinian Authority, dominated by the Fatah movement, faces competition from Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank continues to fuel disputes over land rights and the feasibility of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state. The recent air strike underscores the complex dynamics of conflict in the region, where military actions by Israel often lead to heightened tensions and retaliatory measures by Palestinian groups. With both sides continuing to assert their positions, the situation remains volatile, and further confrontations appear likely.