Israel Kills Islamic Jihad Commander in West Bank Mosque Raid
In a significant escalation of tensions, Israel’s military announced on Thursday that it had killed five Palestinian militants, including a key Islamic Jihad commander, during a fierce firefight in and around a mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem. This operation marked the second day of one of the largest assaults on the territory in years, as Israel intensified its efforts to dismantle what it describes as “Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructure” in the region.
The raid began on Wednesday and continued into the early hours of Thursday. Among the five militants killed was Muhammad Jabber, also known as Abu Shujaa, the leader of the Tulkarem branch of the militant group Islamic Jihad. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Jabber had been involved in several attacks, including a June shooting in Qalqilya that resulted in the death of an Israeli civilian. The IDF’s international spokesperson, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, revealed that the four other militants killed alongside Jabber were connected to his terror network. Additionally, one person has been apprehended.
This operation in Tulkarem is part of a broader offensive in the West Bank, where the IDF claims to have killed 12 militants and dismantled dozens of explosive devices in the first 24 hours of their assault. The raids came in response to warnings from Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, who suggested that Iran was attempting to establish an “eastern front” against Israel, working in tandem with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Katz has called for Gaza-style operations in the West Bank to eliminate the perceived threat.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed deep concern over Israel’s actions, condemning the loss of life, including that of children, and calling for an immediate cessation of the operation. The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to a Hamas attack on October 7. The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of 652 Palestinians, including 150 children, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 5,400 others have been injured.
As the conflict continues to escalate, the international community is increasingly alarmed by the growing violence and the potential for further destabilization in the region. Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, which began in 1967, and its expansion of Jewish settlements in the territory, remain highly contentious issues under international law.
