
Five more West Bank militants, including local commander, killed in large-scale operation: Israeli Army
The Hindu
Israeli military kills five militants, including a local commander, in West Bank operation; surge in violence continues.
The Israeli military said it has killed five more militants in a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank early on Thursday (August 29, 2024) including a well-known local commander.
There was no immediate Palestinian confirmation of the death of Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, a commander in the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Nur Shams refugee camp on the outskirts of the city of Tulkarem.
He became a hero for many Palestinians earlier this year when he was reported killed in an Israeli operation, only to make a surprise appearance at the funeral of other militants, where he was hoisted onto the shoulders of a cheering crowd.
The military said he was killed along with four other militants in a shootout with Israeli forces early on Thursday after the five had hidden inside a mosque. It said Abu Shujaa was linked to numerous attacks on Israelis, including a deadly shooting in June, and was planning more.
The military said another militant was arrested in the operation in Tulkarem and that a member of Israel's paramilitary Border Police was lightly wounded.
Israel launched a large-scale operation in the West Bank overnight into Wednesday (August 28, 2024). Hamas said 10 of its fighters were killed in various locations, and the Palestinian Health Ministry reported an 11th casualty, without saying whether he was a fighter or a civilian.
Violence has surged in the West Bank since Hamas' October 7 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there.