A Palestinian rammed a pickup truck into pedestrians in Tel Aviv and then went on a stabbing rampage, wounding eight people on Tuesday in an attack claimed by the Hamas militant group as retaliation for a major Israeli operation in the West Bank. At least five people were in serious condition, the two hospitals treating them said. Israeli news site Ynet said one of the casualties was a pregnant woman, but the hospital could not confirm that for privacy reasons, it said.
The 20-year-old Palestinian assailant, from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was shot dead by an armed civilian.
The attack in Israel’s commercial capital took place as more than 1,000 Israeli troops were engaged in the second day of an operation against Palestinian militants in the Jenin refugee camp, one of the flashpoints in more than a year of escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas, which claimed the attacker as one of its members, said the action was “an act of self-defence”.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu indicated the operation in the Jenin refugee camp, one of the most intense in the territory in nearly two decades, was winding down. But he gave no details on when it would end and vowed to carry out similar operations in the future. “At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off,” he said during a visit to a military post on the outskirts of Jenin.
Israel struck the camp, known as a bastion of Palestinian militants, early Monday in an operation it said was aimed at destroying and confiscating weapons. Palestinian health officials said 11 people had been killed and dozens wounded. Big military bulldozers tore through alleyways, leaving heavy damage to roads and buildings, and thousands of residents fled the camp. People said electricity and water were knocked out.
The large-scale raid comes amid a more than yearlong spike in violence that has created a challenge for Netanyahu’s far-right government, which is dominated by ultranationalists who have called for tougher action against Palestinian militants only to see the fighting worsen. Over 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, and Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed 25 people, including a shooting last month that killed four settlers. The sustained operation has raised warnings from humanitarian groups of a deteriorating situation. Agencies
The 20-year-old Palestinian assailant, from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was shot dead by an armed civilian.
The attack in Israel’s commercial capital took place as more than 1,000 Israeli troops were engaged in the second day of an operation against Palestinian militants in the Jenin refugee camp, one of the flashpoints in more than a year of escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas, which claimed the attacker as one of its members, said the action was “an act of self-defence”.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu indicated the operation in the Jenin refugee camp, one of the most intense in the territory in nearly two decades, was winding down. But he gave no details on when it would end and vowed to carry out similar operations in the future. “At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off,” he said during a visit to a military post on the outskirts of Jenin.
Israel struck the camp, known as a bastion of Palestinian militants, early Monday in an operation it said was aimed at destroying and confiscating weapons. Palestinian health officials said 11 people had been killed and dozens wounded. Big military bulldozers tore through alleyways, leaving heavy damage to roads and buildings, and thousands of residents fled the camp. People said electricity and water were knocked out.
The large-scale raid comes amid a more than yearlong spike in violence that has created a challenge for Netanyahu’s far-right government, which is dominated by ultranationalists who have called for tougher action against Palestinian militants only to see the fighting worsen. Over 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, and Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed 25 people, including a shooting last month that killed four settlers. The sustained operation has raised warnings from humanitarian groups of a deteriorating situation. Agencies