In a targeted operation, the Israeli military carried out drone strikes in the Tulkarem area of the West Bank, killing nine Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives. The strikes eliminated terrorists responsible for recent deadly attacks on Israeli civilians and security personnel.

Among those killed was Haitham Balidi, a Hamas commander in Tulkarem, who was part of a cell that carried out a shooting attack on November 2, killing off-duty IDF reservist Sgt. First Class (res.) Elhanan Klein. Balidi was also linked to the killing of Chief Inspector Yitav Lev Halevi, a commander in the police’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit, on May 4.

Additionally, Jamal Abu Haniyeh and Ali Khalil, members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, were killed in the strikes. They were responsible for the fatal shooting of Israeli civilian Amnon Muchtar in Qalqilya on June 21.

Another operative, Abdul Jabbar al-Sabbagh, was involved in numerous shooting attacks against Israeli towns and settlements, including Bat Hefer, Einav, and Avnei Hefetz.

The IDF said the strikes were a response to the recent surge in terrorist activity and aimed to disrupt the capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)