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Israel strike kills three Palestinians in West Bank
The Israeli military says it killed three Palestinians in a rare airstrike in the occupied West Bank. The strike took place near Jenin on Friday amid rising tensions in the territory. Israeli forces identified one of the dead as Qais Bitawi. They described him as a Hamas operative linked to a militant network. Palestinian authorities confirmed that three men were killed in the attack.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the three men were in their 20s. It identified Bitawi as 22 years old and said a drone targeted the group. The ministry said Israeli authorities were withholding the bodies. Meanwhile, Israel said weapons were found inside a vehicle linked to the men. The military also accused Bitawi of helping plan and support attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.
Hamas condemned the airstrike and warned that it would increase anger and confrontation. Its armed wing identified Bitawi as one of its commanders. However, Palestinian Islamic Jihad separately claimed that all three men belonged to its armed wing. The conflicting claims could not be independently verified. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz praised the military operation.
Israeli airstrikes have remained relatively rare in the West Bank since early 2025. However, Israeli forces regularly conduct raids against Palestinian towns and refugee camps. The latest strike was linked to Operation Iron Wall, which began in northern West Bank areas earlier this year. The campaign targets Palestinian armed groups and has included Israeli military deployments in Jenin. The operation has displaced nearly 40,000 people, according to UNRWA.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces briefly detained its medical teams after the strike. It said the forces confiscated their equipment and ordered them to leave. The West Bank has experienced increased violence since the October 2023 attack on Israel. Palestinian officials say at least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed since then. Israeli data records at least 48 Israelis killed in Palestinian attacks or military operations during the same period.