Israel Confirms Islamic Jihad Commander Killed in West Bank Operations

Israel claims to have eliminated an Islamic Jihad commander and four other Palestinian terrorists in an operation in the West Bank, following a large military operation.

There is no independent verification of the death of Mohammed Jaber, also known as Abu Shujaa, in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.

However, a photo on social media suggests the lifeless body of Jaber, who had appeared in several videos issuing threats to Israel and predicting a non-peaceful demise.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the five had sought refuge in a mosque.

The IDF stated that Abu Shujaa was associated with numerous attacks on civilians, including a fatal shooting in June.

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He was previously reported dead last year, only to make an appearance at the funeral of other gunmen, where he was lifted onto a celebrating crowd.

An Israel Border Police paramilitary member sustained minor injuries in the operation, as per the Israeli military spokesperson.

The armed factions of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah proclaimed in separate statements on Wednesday that their fighters were engaging with the Israeli military in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Far’a, a town in the Jordan Valley.

Hamas has primarily focused on combatting Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, where the Hamas-controlled health department states 40,000 individuals have perished since October 7, 2023.

About 600 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Hamas initiated its attacks on Israel on October 7.

During the same period, at least 30 Israeli citizens have been killed in assaults in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Hamas has urged Palestinians in the West Bank to rise up and participate in the “sacred battle” against Israel.

‘Islamic-Iranian Terror Infrastructures’

In a social media post, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated, “The IDF has been active since last night in the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps to dismantle Islamic-Iranian terror infrastructures set up there.”

“Iran is striving to destabilize Jordan and establish an eastern terrorism front against Israel, following the Gaza and Lebanon models, by financing and arming terrorists and smuggling advanced weaponry into Jordan and subsequently into Judea and Samaria,” he mentioned, using the Israeli term for the West Bank.

Katz added, “We must counter this threat by all means necessary, including, in instances of intense combat, allowing the population to briefly evacuate from one neighborhood to another within the refugee camp to prevent civilian casualties and enable the disintegration of terror infrastructures there.”

“Minister Katz’s suggestion of evacuating Palestinian residents, among other actions, threatens to exacerbate further instability,” he remarked.

Borrell disclosed on Thursday that he had initiated the process of consulting EU member states to consider imposing sanctions on “certain Israeli ministers.”

He informed reporters in Brussels, “I have initiated the process of inquiring with the member states if they believe [it] is appropriate to add certain Israeli ministers to our list of sanctioned individuals who have been promoting unacceptable incitements against the Palestinians and proposing measures that clearly violate international law.”

On Wednesday evening, Katz posted on X, “We are diligently collaborating with our European partners to prevent anti-Israel actions at the upcoming EU Foreign Ministers meeting, influenced by anti-Israel elements.”

“Our message is unequivocal: In a landscape where Israel confronts threats from Iran and its proxy terrorist groups, the democratic world should stand in solidarity with Israel, not against it,” he added.

Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.