The Israeli military reported a significant incident on Tuesday, asserting that it killed three members of Hamas in an airstrike targeting vehicles near the occupied West Bank city of Tubas. The operation occurred in the Aqaba area, shortly after the Palestinian health ministry indicated that two individuals had been killed by the same Israeli strike.
According to the military, these three Hamas members were considered terrorists planning an imminent attack. Following the airstrike, Israeli soldiers conducted a targeted operation in the area, uncovering four weapons. The military emphasized that their actions were based on intelligence regarding a terror cell poised to launch an attack.
In contrast, the Palestinian health ministry’s account highlighted a broader aftermath of the strike, noting that two individuals were killed and another wounded as a result of the air attack. All three were reportedly taken to a hospital in Tubas. However, the health ministry alleged that Israeli forces subsequently besieged the hospital, claiming they entered the facility, discharged shots, assaulted staff and patients, and detained several individuals.
The Israeli military has denied entering the hospital, stating to AFP that their forces were operating in the vicinity to recover the bodies but did not breach the hospital grounds. While the military’s narrative continues to emphasize their operations against identified threats, reports from an AFP journalist present during the incidents described a scene of heightened military activity at the hospital, with armored vehicles stationed outside and soldiers detaining medical staff, some still wearing hospital gowns.
Tensions have markedly escalated in the West Bank since the onset of the war in Gaza, which began on October 7 following a significant attack by Hamas on Israel. Since that date, the Ramallah-based health ministry reports that Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 787 Palestinians in the West Bank. Similarly, official Israeli figures indicate that Palestinian attacks during this period have resulted in the deaths of at least 24 Israelis.
The ongoing conflict continues to raise concerns over military actions in civilian areas, particularly in hospitals, which are supposed to be sanctuaries amid violence. As the situation evolves, the impacts on both communities remain dire, with calls for accountability and protection heightened in the face of the escalating conflict. Israel has maintained its occupation of the West Bank since 1967, a situation that remains at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
