IDF: Soldiers kill would-be suicide bomber ‘en route’ to carry out attack in Israel
Commandos shoot Palestinian man in Zeita, close to West Bank security barrier; top security official quoted as saying ‘large terror attack in Tel Aviv was thwarted tonight’
An armed Palestinian man on his way to carry out an imminent terror attack was killed by troops in the West Bank, the IDF and Shin Bet announced Monday evening.
A senior security official was quoted by Hebrew media sites as saying “a large terror attack in Tel Aviv was thwarted tonight.”
Jenin resident Muhammad Jaber, 34, was killed by commandos of the elite Duvdevan unit in the town of Zeita, close to the West Bank security barrier.
The IDF and Shin Bet said Jaber was killed “en route to Israeli territory to carry out a suicide attack in the immediate time-frame,” armed with a firearm and a primed explosive device.
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari also mentioned the foiled terror attack on Monday evening, vowing the military would “continue to thwart terrorism all over the West Bank and at all borders.”
“Instead of allowing a humanitarian ceasefire for Ramadan, Hamas deliberately chose otherwise. Hamas is trying to set the region on fire, in part through the use of propaganda and incitement, especially on social media,” Hagari said during a press conference.
Violence in the West Bank has surged during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sparked by the terror group’s grisly October 7 onslaught, and tensions were especially high as Ramadan began on Sunday.
Israel beefed up forces and security measures ahead of the Muslim holy month, as the war in Gaza cast a somber mood on normally festive preparations.
Since October 7, troops have arrested some 3,500 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,500 affiliated with Hamas. According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 400 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time.
