Rare Israeli Air Strike in Jenin Kills Three Palestinians Amid Rising West Bank Tensions

An Israeli military air strike in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin has resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians, marking a rare use of aerial force in the territory amid escalating tensions.

The Israeli military stated that it eliminated three individuals on Friday, identifying one as a Hamas operative and the other two as his accomplices. While Hamas condemned the strike, it did not claim the targeted individual—identified by the Israeli military as Qais Bitawi—as a member. Meanwhile, Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated that Bitawi was a senior operative within its armed wing. A spokesperson for the Israeli military noted that the operation targeted a car carrying the men.

According to the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service, Israeli ground troops raided the drone strike site, briefly detaining medics and preventing them from transferring the casualties to a hospital. The Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that the drone strike actually targeted a house under construction in the western area of Jenin City, resulting in instant fatalities for the three Palestinians. Images from the AFP news agency showed Israeli soldiers removing a body from a house under construction on the outskirts of Jenin.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the operation on X, describing it as a successful thwarting of the targeted individuals. Following the attack, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated the military, police, and Shin Bet, adding that the Jenin camp has been evacuated of residents and that the Israeli military is now permanently stationed there.

Hamas condemned the strike in a statement, mourning the victims and calling on the international community to take immediate action to halt these actions and end impunity. While military raids on Palestinian towns in the West Bank are frequent, actual air strikes are uncommon, with the previous strike occurring in February 2025.