West Bankupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 18 October 2016Israeli Air Strike Kills 10 Palestinians in Tamun, Tubas District
3 Other1 Asian1 Western MainstreamPhoto: יעקב, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Ten Palestinians killed in a Israeli drone strike on Tamun, Tubas district, West Bank. IDF says strike targeted an armed cell; casualties were militants, including bombers.
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Tamun strike, 10 dead
An Israeli air strike killed 10 Palestinians in the town of Tamun in the north of the occupied West Bank on Wednesday night, the Palestinian health ministry said. The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted a squad of "armed terrorists" on guidance from the Shin Bet security service. The Palestinian Red Crescent had earlier said that seven people had been killed in the strike, while the military said it struck an "armed cell" as part of a "counterterrorism operation".
The Palestinian health ministry said, "There are 10 martyrs due to the occupation's bombing of the town of Tamun in the Tubas district" in the northern West Bank, and the IDF said an aircraft struck the cell with the direction of ISA intelligence. Hamas condemned the strike, calling it "The escalating crimes of the fascist occupation in the West Bank" and a "failed attempt to break our valiant resistance."
Jenin operation and claims
Israel increased its military operations in the West Bank in the past week, particularly in and around the city of Jenin, just to the north of Tamun. Hundreds of Israeli security forces backed by helicopters, drones and armoured vehicles had been deployed to Jenin and its refugee camp, where many homes had been demolished and roads had been dug up by Israeli bulldozers. The Palestinian health ministry reported 16 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and dozens more wounded in the Jenin area since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of a large-scale operation to "defeat terrorism" on 21 January.
Intisar Amalka, a displaced camp resident, told Reuters, "It's terrifying, the explosions, the fires, the houses which were demolished," as the BBC described more than 20,000 people reportedly fleeing their homes in the camp. Israel Katz said, "The Jenin refugee camp will not be what it was," and the Palestinian foreign ministry condemned what it called Katz's "provocative raid on Jenin and his inciting statements."
Armed operatives, wider violence
The Times of Israel said the IDF described the 10 Palestinians killed in the drone strike in Tamun as terror operatives, including two behind a deadly bombing attack.
The Times of Israel reported that Omar Basharat and Muntaser Ali Muhammad Bani Odeh detonated a bomb in Tamun on January 20, killing Sgt. First Class (res.) Eviatar Ben Yehuda and injuring several others.
Hamas said five of those killed in the drone strike were members of the terror group, while the IDF did not detail allegations against the other eight.
The BBC said violence has soared throughout the West Bank since Hamas's attacks on October 7, 2023, which sparked a devastating Israeli offensive on Gaza, and it described Israeli operations in Jenin and Tulkarm as part of a broader push.
The BBC also stated that Israel has built about 160 settlements housing some 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war, and it noted that the settlements are considered illegal under international law though Israel disputes this.