5 Palestinian gunmen killed, four troops hurt in West Bank raid
Four gunmen killed in drone strike, one amid clashes during operations in Tubas, Tamun and Far’a; raid carried out by IDF, police, Shin Bet and elite Prison Service unit
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Five Palestinian gunmen were killed in a 12-hour Israeli counter-terrorism raid in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, the military said.
Four soldiers were also wounded during the operation after a roadside bomb hit their vehicle.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, troops entered the West Bank city of Tubas, the nearby town of Tamun and the Far’a refugee camp to detain wanted Palestinians and dismantle local terror groups in the area.
The towns are located on the edge of the northern Jordan Valley, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) northeast of Nablus.
In Tubas, an explosive device planted on a road exploded by a light armored vehicle, wounding four troops. Two were listed in moderate condition and the other two were lightly hurt, the IDF said.
Also in Tubas, the army said a senior wanted member of a terror group in the area was killed in an exchange of fire with troops. Other armed Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces in the clashes.
Meanwhile, in Tamun, a drone strike was carried out against a group of Palestinian gunmen, killing four of them, according to the IDF.
Palestinian media also reported five dead in the operation, and Hamas identified one of the gunmen as a member of the terror group.
The military said it seized five M-16 assault rifles and one makeshift submachine gun, along with other weapons, including explosive devices, during the operation.
Three wanted Palestinians were detained, the IDF added.
The operation was carried out by the IDF’s Duvdevan Commando Unit, troops of the Kfir Infantry Brigade and the 636th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, along with Border Police officers, Israel Prison Service’s elite Metzada Unit and the Shin Bet security agency.
The IPS’s elite unit is rarely involved in West Bank raids. Wednesday’s operation marked a rare instance of four of Israel’s security bodies — the IDF, police, IPS, and Shin Bet — operating together in a single raid in the West Bank.
Tensions in Israel and the West Bank have soared since October 7, when terrorists burst through the Gaza border into Israel in a Hamas-led attack, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.
Since October 7, troops have arrested some 4,400 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,850 affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 590 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 26 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another five members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.
