Israeli forces wiped out a Hamas commander and at least two henchmen Friday as they forged ahead for a third day with a full-blown military operation in the occupied West Bank.
Wassem Hazem, the head of the terror group in the stronghold city of Jenin, was shot dead after exchanging fire with Israeli special forces during a pursuit, the Israeli military said.
Hazem had been involved in shooting and bombing attacks in the Palestinian territory, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Two other Hamas gunmen were then killed in a small drone strike after they tried to flee the vehicle in the aftermath.
Weapons, explosives and large sums of cash were later found in the vehicle, the military added.
Hamas has since confirmed the three deaths, saying all three were members of its al-Qassam Brigades armed wing.
The burnt-out car, which was still by the roadside riddled with bullet holes, had come to a screeching halt after being pursued by the Israeli forces, local residents said.
Saif Ghannam, a 25-year-old villager, described seeing one of the two men who tried to flee being killed just outside his home, while the second man was killed a short distance away.
Israeli forces had since removed the bodies but large pools of blood remained on the ground, Ghannam said, adding that the drone strike shattered his windows.
The attack unfolded as Israeli forces pressed ahead with its major West Bank operation — the largest assault on the area in months — for a third day.
The coordinated raids involving hundreds of troops and police kicked off in the early hours of Wednesday in the strongholds of Jenin, Tulkarm and the Jordan Valley.
Israeli armored personnel carriers, as well as helicopters and drones, pushed further into Jenin and Tulkarm on Friday.
Armored bulldozers, meanwhile, plowed up roads to destroy roadside bombs planted by the militant groups.
“So far, the forces have eliminated 20 terrorists in exchanges of fire and airstrikes and apprehended 17 suspects linked to terrorist activities,” the Israeli military said of its operation so far.
Israel has said the raids are aimed at preventing attacks, while Palestinians have decried them as only fueling an escalation of the war in Gaza.
The U.N. secretary-general, António Guterres, on Friday called for an immediate halt to the raids, urging Israel’s government to comply with its obligations under international law and to take measures to protect civilians.
“These dangerous developments are fueling an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank and further undermining the Palestinian Authority,” he said in a statement.
With Post wires
