Israeli strike kills three Palestinians in West Bank’s Jenin

Israeli forces carried out a rare air strike in the West Bank town of Jenin on Friday, killing three Palestinians and prompting statements from Israeli leaders and Palestinian groups. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a vehicle carrying a Hamas operative, identified as Qais Bitawi, and two accomplices. The men were killed instantly when the drone attack hit the vehicle.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation in a statement that the three were “eliminated.” A military spokesperson added that the target was a car, and the strike was part of Israel’s ongoing counter‑terrorism campaign in the occupied territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the attack on X, describing it as a “successful thwarting” of the three targeted individuals. Defence Minister Israel Katz also congratulated the military, police and Shin Bet, claiming that the Jenin camp had been “evacuated of residents” and that the IDF would remain permanently stationed there, likening the area to other “terrorist camps” in the West Bank.

The Israeli military’s description of Qais Bitawi as a Hamas operative has been disputed by Hamas, which condemned the strike but did not confirm Bitawi’s affiliation. The Palestinian militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, however, identified Bitawi as a senior operative of its armed wing. Both groups called the attack a “crime” and urged the international community to intervene and hold Israel fully responsible.

Palestinian authorities reported that the drone strike hit a house under construction in the western part of Jenin. Three Palestinians were killed instantly, according to the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service. The Red Crescent said Israeli ground troops raided the strike site, detained medics, and prevented wounded or dead individuals from being transported to a hospital. Its personnel were also detained after arriving at the scene. The Wafa news agency corroborated the site description and the fatalities, while AFP photographs showed Israeli soldiers removing a body from a house under construction on the outskirts of Jenin.

The strike comes amid escalating tensions in the West Bank, a territory that has seen increasing violence from Israeli settlers and soldiers since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. While Israeli military raids on Palestinian towns are common, the last air strike in the West Bank occurred in February 2025. The latest operation in Jenin is the first since then.

In Gaza, separate Israeli strikes killed at least five people, raising concerns about a potential collapse of the ceasefire. Nikolay Mladenov, the U.S.-led Board of Peace’s high representative, warned that the failure of both sides to adhere to the roadmap for peace threatens a broader breakdown in Gaza.

The Israeli government claims the Jenin strike was a preemptive measure against terrorism, citing the presence of a Hamas operative. Critics argue the operation reflects a broader pattern of punitive measures against Palestinians in the West Bank, a territory governed by the Palestinian Authority yet heavily monitored and restricted by Israeli military presence. The incident underscores the fragile security situation and the ongoing international debate over the legality and proportionality of Israeli military actions in occupied territories.