Israel Claims Killing 5 West Bank Militants, Including Local Commander

The Israeli military reported that it killed five militants, including a prominent local commander, in a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank early Thursday.

The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad confirmed the death of Mohammed Jaber, also known as Abu Shujaa, a commander in the group’s Tulkarem Brigade, located in the Nour Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem.

Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, which is active in refugee camps across the northern West Bank, stated that “Abu Shujaa and several members of his brigade were killed in a heroic battle against Israeli occupation forces.”

Earlier this year, Jaber gained prominence among Palestinians when he was mistakenly reported killed in an Israeli operation, only to reappear at the funeral of other militants, where he was celebrated by a cheering crowd.

The Israeli military stated that Jaber, along with four other militants, was killed in a shootout with Israeli forces after they had taken refuge inside a mosque. The military claimed that Abu Shujaa was involved in numerous attacks on Israelis, including a fatal shooting in June, and was planning additional attacks.

In the same operation in Tulkarem, another militant was arrested, and an Israeli Border Police officer sustained light injuries.

Israel began this large-scale operation in the West Bank on Wednesday night. Hamas reported that 10 of its fighters were killed at various locations, and the Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed an 11th death, though it did not specify whether the individual was a fighter or a civilian.

Violence in the West Bank has escalated significantly since Hamas launched its attack from Gaza on October 7, sparking the ongoing conflict.

Nour Shams is one of several refugee camps in the Middle East that were established after the 1948 war, which led to the creation of Israel and the displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians. Many of these camps have become strongholds for militant groups.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Mideast war, and the Palestinians seek these territories for a future state. The 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank are subject to Israeli military rule, while the Palestinian Authority governs cities and towns. Over 500,000 Jewish settlers, who hold Israeli citizenship, live in more than 100 settlements across the West Bank, most of which the international community considers illegal.