In a significant development, the Israeli military carried out an aerial attack using a drone near Jenin, resulting in the deaths of three Palestinians. This incident marks the first airstrike in the occupied West Bank in nearly 20 years.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defence, the remains of the three men were discovered at the strike location, but the Israeli forces have withheld their bodies.
The Israeli military confirmed the attack, stating that it targeted a group of Palestinian fighters near the Jalamah military checkpoint, situated approximately 5km north of Jenin.
The Jenin Brigades reported that two of the deceased individuals, Commander Sohaib al-Ghoul and Fighter Ashraf al-Saadi, belonged to the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, known as the al-Quds Brigades (Saraya al-Quds). The third individual was identified as Mohammad Owais, a leader affiliated with the Fatah-associated Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
The drone strike, which is the first targeted killing in the West Bank since the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, has been regarded as a “dangerous escalation” by Awni Almashni, a Fatah political activist.
Expressing condemnation, the Palestinian movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad criticized the attack and warned that Israel would face consequences for the killings.
Following the strike, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the actions of the Israeli forces and vowed to adopt a proactive approach against terrorism.
Mohammad Atiq, an activist based in Jenin, suggested that the decision to employ airstrikes in the West Bank came after months of hesitation from the military, implying that such targeted killings might continue now.
The drone strike occurred just two days after the deployment of Apache attack helicopters by the Israeli military in Jenin, prompted by a raid that resulted in the death of at least six Palestinians and injuries to 91 individuals.
The recent violence also saw two Palestinians fatally shooting four Israeli settlers near Nablus, which was followed by retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian towns and villages near Nablus and Ramallah.
Almashni highlighted that the settler attacks, combined with the airstrikes, could potentially provoke further armed resistance from Palestinians in the West Bank, including members of the Palestinian Authority.
Since the beginning of the year, Israeli forces and settlers have been responsible for the deaths of at least 170 Palestinians, including 25 children. On the other hand, Palestinians have killed at least 24 Israelis during the same period.
New homes in the west bank
In a direct response to the shooting incident that claimed the lives of four Israeli settlers, Israel has announced plans to authorize the construction of 1,000 new homes in the Eli settlement located in the occupied West Bank.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, declared their immediate intention to proceed with the planning during a meeting on Wednesday. However, no specific timetable was provided.
A statement from the meeting emphasized that Israel’s approach to countering terrorism is to strike it forcefully and simultaneously advance settlement construction on Israeli-controlled land.
It remains unclear whether the proposed 1,000 units are part of the larger 4,560 units previously suggested for construction across the occupied West Bank, or if they constitute a separate development. According to the Jerusalem Post, these units are distinct from the previously proposed ones.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously expressed concern that the expansion of settlements would undermine efforts to establish a contiguous and viable Palestinian state.
