IDF used ruse to bring 2 senior terror commanders to Tulkarem area where strike carried out

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Israeli army armored vehicles during a raid in Tulkarem in the West Bank on July 23, 2024. (JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Israeli army armored vehicles during a raid in Tulkarem in the West Bank on July 23, 2024. (JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)

The Israel Defense Forces assesses that the drone strike in the West Bank city of Tulkarem this morning, killed at least six gunmen, including two senior terror commanders.

The two commanders were named by Palestinian media as Ashraf Nafeh, the head of Hamas in Tulkarem, and Muhammad Abu Abdo, the head of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Tulkarem.

The IDF used a ruse to bring the senior commanders to an area where they could be targeted, according to military sources.

Also among those killed was an armed female combatant who was dressed up as a medic, military sources say.

The IDF raid in Tulkarem this morning was part of a series of operations against terror activity in northern West Bank refugee camps.

The military says it has recently identified attempts by the Gaza Strip-based Hamas and Islamic Jihad to ramp up attacks in West Bank, including by funneling money and providing know-how.

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