Four Israelis killed in Palestinian attack in West Bank
New escalation of violence in the West Bank. Four Israelis have been killed and several wounded, one of them seriously, after a shooting at a petrol station outside Eli, a settlement between Nablus and Ramallah. At least two Palestinian members of Hamas' military wing were involved in the attack, although the terrorist group has not claimed responsibility. Both were eliminated after the shooting, one by armed civilians near the gas station and the other by security forces as he tried to flee.
Victims of the terror attack near the West Bank settlement of Eli: Harel Masood, 21, of Yad Binyamin, Elisha Anteman, 17, of Eli, Ofer Fayerman, 64, of Eli, and Nachman Shmuel Mordoff, 17, of Ahiya, pic.twitter.com/2K2XHlLetu
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 20, 2023
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have praised the attack, while in cities such as Jenin and Gaza, sweets were distributed to celebrate the shooting. "This great intifada will continue and will not stop until the Palestinian goals of freedom and independence are achieved," said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem, who described the attackers as "revolutionaries".
Islamic Jihad, meanwhile, called the attack "a natural response to the escalating crimes of the occupation". The terrorist group also praised "the heroic guerrilla operation" that shows "the vitality of the resistance".
Following the attack outside the settlement - which left two minors dead - Israeli authorities are now preparing to demolish the homes of the two Hamas terrorists who, according to Ynet, spent months in jail in 2020 for rioting and making explosive devices. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have also conducted interrogations and searches at the location of the two attackers. As a result, three people have been arrested for "further investigation", the IDF spokesman announced.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has also urged the government to revoke the entry and work permits of the family members of the two Hamas members. According to i24News, Israeli authorities have denied entry to more than 2,500 family members of terrorists, although thousands continue to cross the border illegally on a daily basis.
The ultra-nationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has called for going further, saying it was time to "launch a military operation in Judea and Samaria", using the biblical term for the West Bank region. From Eli, the Israeli minister spoke of "expelling terrorists and finalising the death penalty law for terrorists", according to The Times of Israel.
News from Israel🇮🇱
— Ayelet Azoury (@azoury_ayelet) June 20, 2023
🚨 Terrorist attack in Israel at the settlement Eli: Arab terrorists attacked Israeli Jews at a gas station, killing 4 and injuring several others.
Two Arab terrorists shot, one terrorist was eliminated, while the other managed to run away..
A sad day in… pic.twitter.com/lyG96aVhP6
The attack on the Eli gas station has sparked a new spiral of violence in the area. In response to the attack, settlers have set fire to dozens of cars and vandalised homes in Palestinian villages. At least three Israelis have been arrested in connection with the attacks, while 34 Palestinians have been injured, most of them by tear gas, according to Palestinian sources. I24News has also reported a shooting at a military post near a settlement in the northern West Bank this morning, although no injuries are reported.
Jenin raid and Hamas meeting in Iran
The attack on the West Bank settlement comes just a day after an Israeli raid on the city of Jenin, a recurring point of clashes between the Israeli army and members of armed Palestinian militias. As a result of the clashes, seven Palestinians were killed and dozens injured. Among the dead were several members of Islamic Jihad, but also minors, including a 15-year-old girl. According to Israeli media, the army will open an investigation into the incident, although the military says that the chances of it being hit by the IDF "are low", as they only fired at armed Palestinians.
During the Jenin operation, eight Israeli soldiers were wounded as a result of a bomb that exploded next to an army vehicle. To facilitate the evacuation of the wounded and to support ground actions, the Israeli army used air support for the first time since the time of the second intifada (2000-2005).
After the raid, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured that Israel would continue to "fight terrorism". "We have shown in recent months that we will make all murderers pay without exception," he added.
An IDF armoured vehicle was hit by a firebomb which had been planted on the road used by the IDF to exit Jenin. Several other explosives were also thrown at them. #israel #jenin #palestine #idf #attack #terrorist #bomb #military #weapons pic.twitter.com/vWPdMUXTK8
— ILTV News (@ILTVNews) June 19, 2023
While the clashes were taking place in Jenin, a Hamas delegation met with Iranian officials in Tehran. For years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the main backer of Palestinian armed militias. Tehran has sent arms and money to the leaders of terrorist groups such as Hamas with the aim of harming Israel, their main enemy along with the United States.
Raisi meets with #Hamas' Ismael Haniyeh today in #Iran along with his delegation. https://t.co/6sRMyvduTv pic.twitter.com/PgqxPA2lr1
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) June 20, 2023
During this latest meeting, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi urged Palestinian factions to "maintain unity and become stronger". The Iranian leader also took the opportunity to send a message to all those Muslim countries that in recent years have established and strengthened relations with Israel, such as the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. "Any normalisation with the Zionist entity is a betrayal of Palestine", Raisi stressed.
