From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 18, 2024
IDF: Palestinian terrorist behind May 2023 murder of Israeli man is killed in West Bank airstrike
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israeli airstrike in the West Bank city of Jenin a short while ago targeted a command room belonging to a local terror network and killed a terrorist behind the murder of an Israeli in May 2023, the military and Shin Bet say.
According to a joint IDF and Shin Bet statement, fighter jets and attack helicopters targeted a building used as an “operational war room” by Jenin’s terror network.
Several gunmen were gathered at the command room when it was struck, including those involved in several shooting attacks in the Jenin area, the IDF says.
It says that members of the network planned additional attacks in the near future.
Among those killed is Islam Khamayseh, who the IDF says was wanted over his involvement in a series of terror attacks, including a shooting near the settlement of Hermesh in May 2023, killing Meir Tamari, and another attack in the area in June 2023 that wounded four soldiers and one civilian.
The military says the targeted site was “a dangerous terrorist infrastructure,” and the airstrike “was carried out to remove an imminent threat posed by the terrorists who were involved in advancing terror attacks in the area of Jenin and Israeli territory.”
It publishes footage of the strike.
מטוס קרב ומסוק קרב של חיל-האוויר, בהכוונה מודיעינית של שב״כ תקפו מבנה אשר שימש כחמ״ל מבצעים של תשתית הטרור בג׳נין.
במבנה הסתתרו מספר מחבלים מרכזיים, ביניהם מחבלים אשר היו מעורבים בביצוע פיגועי ירי בגזרת ג'נין וכן תכננו לממש פיגועים נוספים בתקופה הקרובה.בתקיפה חוסל אסלאם… pic.twitter.com/gmKNg9rXPC
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) May 17, 2024
