Tulkarem commanders of Hamas, al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades killed in IDF drone strike

Two senior terror operatives were among several armed Palestinians killed in an Israeli drone strike and in clashes in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Tuesday morning, according to the military.

Palestinian media reported five dead.

Palestinian outlets and the IDF named the two commanders as Ashraf Nafeh, the head of Hamas in Tulkarem, and Muhammad Abu Abdo, the head of the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Tulkarem.

The IDF and Shin Bet security agency said Nafeh was responsible for preparing and planting explosive devices to be detonated against Israeli troops and was involved in other attacks. Nafeh was also involved in recruiting members to Hamas, and he was in contact with Hamas officials abroad, according to the military and Shin Bet.

Awad, according to the IDF, was involved in shooting attacks and raising money for terror activities in Tulkarem.

The IDF published footage showing the airstrike.

Palestinian media said a woman was among those killed. Military sources said she was an armed female combatant who was dressed up as a medic.

Footage circulating on social media from the moments before the strike showed a Palestinian woman wearing a reflective vest reading “medical service” and brandishing an assault rifle.

The video was also said to show Abu Abdo.

The IDF used a ruse to bring the senior commanders to an area where they could be targeted, according to military sources. They did not offer further details.

During the raid, troops shot several gunmen in clashes and destroyed explosive devices planted under roads, the IDF said.

In the past nine months, the IDF said it has carried out more than 50 airstrikes in the West Bank, using drones, attack helicopters, and fighter jets.

The strike on Tuesday was carried out as part of a raid that began overnight. It was part of a series of operations against terror activity in northern West Bank refugee camps.

The military said it has recently identified attempts by the Gaza Strip-based Hamas and Islamic Jihad to ramp up attacks in the West Bank, including by funneling money and providing know-how.

Also on Tuesday, two Defense Ministry employees were lightly wounded after a bomb exploded on the West Bank security barrier in the Mount Gilboa area, the military and medics say.

According to an initial probe, the Defense Ministry workers were carrying out a patrol along the border fence in the northern West Bank when they spotted a suspicious item.

The item then exploded on the two workers, lightly injuring them.

The IDF said it had launched a manhunt for those behind the attack.

Since October 7, troops have arrested some 4,400 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,850 affiliated with Hamas.

According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 560 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed during raids or terrorists carrying out attacks.

During the same period, 22 Israelis, including security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another five members of security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.

Source » msn.com