Tel Aviv Attack: Palestinian Assailant Injures 8, Netanyahu Hints at Conclusion of West Bank Operation

In a distressing incident, a member of Hamas carried out a car-ramming and stabbing attack at a crowded bus stop in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, resulting in eight people being wounded. Palestinian armed groups claimed that the assault was in retaliation for an Israeli military offensive in the occupied West Bank. The attacker was shot and killed by a bystander.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the operation in the Jenin refugee camp, one of the most intense military actions in the area in nearly two decades, was drawing to a close. However, no specific timeline for its conclusion was provided, and Netanyahu vowed to undertake similar operations in the future.

During a visit to a military post on the outskirts of Jenin, Netanyahu stated, “At these moments, we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off. We will continue as long as necessary to combat terrorism.”

Additional News Highlights:

• Israel has launched its most intense military operation in the West Bank in years, resulting in the deaths of at least eight Palestinians.
• The killing of a 15-year-old Palestinian girl by Israelis in the West Bank has shed light on the issue of civilian casualties.
• Israel has disregarded calls for restraint from the White House by approving plans for thousands of new settlement homes.
• Israeli settlers have rampaged through a Palestinian town as the Israeli military killed a Palestinian gunman.

The Israeli military’s operation in the Jenin refugee camp began on Monday, targeting the area known as a stronghold of Palestinian militants. Palestinian health officials reported 11 deaths and dozens of injuries. Massive military bulldozers have caused extensive damage to roads and buildings, leading thousands of residents to flee the camp. Electricity and water supply have been disrupted as well.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli military stated that less than 10 targets remained in the camp, with hopes of completing the operation within the next 24 hours.

The ongoing surge in violence poses a challenge for Netanyahu’s far-right government, which is predominantly composed of ultranationalists advocating for stronger action against Palestinian militants, only to witness the escalation of conflict.

This recent wave of violence has claimed the lives of over 140 Palestinians in the West Bank this year, while Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have resulted in at least 25 deaths, including an attack last month that killed four settlers.

The military operation in the West Bank exhibits similarities to Israeli tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. However, the current violence is distinct from the high-intensity years of the second intifada, which claimed numerous lives. Presently, Israeli military operations are primarily focused on specific strongholds of Palestinian militants.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a hard-line settler leader, hurried to the scene of the attack in Tel Aviv, acknowledging the anticipated resurgence of terrorism. He praised the individual who neutralized the assailant and advocated for more citizens to be armed with guns. However, he faced opposition from an angry onlooker.

The attacker, a 20-year-old Palestinian man from Hebron in the southern West Bank, was hailed as a “martyr fighter” by the Islamic militant group Hamas. They described the car-ramming as a “heroic act of revenge” for the military operation in Jenin. Islamic Jihad, another militant group active in Jenin, also praised the assault. The extent of Hamas’ involvement in dispatching the attacker remains unclear.

In Jenin, the streets are littered with rubble, and periodic columns of black smoke rise above the camp. This area, along with an adjacent town bearing the same name, has long been a hotspot of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Jenin Mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi revealed that approximately 4,000 Palestinians, nearly one-third of the camp’s population, have sought refuge with relatives or in shelters. Residents have reported forced entry into homes by soldiers and subsequent confinement, leaving women and children trapped while young men are separated and taken to upper floors. Allegations have also been made regarding denial of access to food and medical assistance, highlighting the dire situation.

To express their opposition to the Israeli raid, Palestinians across the West Bank observed a general strike. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the death toll, which rose to 11 over the two-day period. The Israeli military claims that at least 10 of those killed were militants, although specific details were not provided. The latest fatality was a 17-year-old boy who succumbed to wounds sustained in previous clashes.

During the operations on Tuesday, the military announced the seizure of weapons and explosives and the demolition of tunnels beneath a mosque in the refugee camp. Israeli media reported the arrest of over 120 suspected Palestinian militants since Monday.

Israel maintains that militants exploit civilian structures for their activities. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military’s chief spokesperson, explained on Monday that the deployment of massive military bulldozers was necessary due to the presence of explosives rigged along the camp’s roads.

Palestinians attribute the violence to the consequences of 56 years of Israeli military occupation.

The Palestinian self-rule government in the West Bank and three Arab countries with normalized relations with Israel, namely Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, have condemned Israel’s incursion. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, consisting of 57 nations, also expressed its disapproval.

Turkey’s new foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, urged Israeli authorities to exercise common sense and refrain from further attacks during a joint press conference in Ankara with his Jordanian counterpart. Germany’s Foreign Ministry, while denouncing the attack in Tel Aviv, expressed concern about the situation in the West Bank and called on Israel to ensure the safety of civilians and maintain access for humanitarian aid.

In response to a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in early 2022, Israel has been conducting near-daily raids in the West Bank. These operations are intended to counter Palestinian militants and prevent attacks. Palestinians argue that such violence is inevitable without a political process with Israel, aggravated by increased West Bank settlement construction and the actions of extremist settlers.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians aspire to establish their independent state in these territories.

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More about Israeli-Palestinian conflict

• Hamas militant carries out car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv
• Israeli military offensive in the occupied West Bank
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hints at conclusion of West Bank operation
• Casualties and destruction in the Jenin refugee camp
• Ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict