Israel’s military launches wave of raids across occupied West Bank
Hamas said in a statement that one of its veteran commanders was killed by Israeli forces in the area of the two deadly raids.
The Israeli military launched a wave of raids across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least three Palestinians it said were militants a day after a deadly shooting attack.
The army said it killed two militants in an airstrike after they fired at troops in the area of Tamun in the northern West Bank.
It said another militant was killed in “close-quarters combat” in the nearby village of Taluza and an Israeli soldier was severely wounded.
The military said it arrested more than 20 suspected militants.
Hamas said in a statement that one of its veteran commanders, Jaafar Dababsah, was killed by Israeli forces in the area of the two deadly raids.
It said the overnight operations were not related to Monday’s shooting in which gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Israelis in the West Bank, killing two women in their 70s and a 35-year-old policeman before fleeing.
Palestinians have carried out scores of shooting, stabbing and car-ramming attacks against Israelis, especially during the past 15 months of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has launched near-nightly military raids across the West Bank that frequently trigger gunbattles with militants and have also killed civilians.
US President-elect Donald Trump is dispatching his incoming special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to Qatar this week for talks aimed at a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of some 100 Israeli hostages.
Mr Trump speaking at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday reiterated his threat that there will be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if the hostages are not released prior to his January 20 inauguration.
Mr Witkoff, who also spoke briefly at the press conference, said he expected to depart for Qatar later Tuesday or Wednesday but did not detail who he would be meeting with during his latest visit to the region.
He added that progress is being made on landing a deal, something he said is happening because of the pressure Mr Trump is creating.
“The red lines he’s put out there — that’s driving this negotiation,” Mr Witkoff said.
Late on Tuesday an Israeli airstrike killed at least 17 people including five children in a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, the territory’s Health Ministry has said.
