Israel eliminates two senior Hamas militants
The Israeli army eliminates two terrorists from the Hamas group (photo: Getty Images)
The Israeli Army has eliminated two senior militants from the Palestinian group Hamas involved in the killing of an Israeli citizen, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Reuters.
The terrorists were neutralized through an airstrike targeting their vehicle in Jenin on the West Bank.
Further details about the killed militants were provided in a joint statement by the Israeli Security Agency and the IDF.
Ahmed Abu Ara from Akaba was planning new attacks and was a senior operative in explosive production.
Rafet Dawasi from Silat al-Harithiya was a senior member of Hamas's military infrastructure in the Jenin area.
The investigation revealed that both militants were involved in the August 11, 2024, attack in the Jordan Valley, where Palestinian militants fired on a main road in the occupied West Bank, killing Israeli citizen Yonatan Deutsch.
Later that day, Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for killing an Israeli soldier at close range near the settlement of Mehola in the Jordan Valley, stating that their fighters successfully returned to their bases.
Hamas stated that the operation was in response to an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, which resulted in at least 90 deaths.
כלי-טיס תקף מהאוויר רכב בג׳נין שבחטיבת מנשה, בו חוסלו שני פעילי חמאס בכירים.
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) August 17, 2024
המחבל אחמד אבו ערה מעקאבה, היה מעורב בפיגועים נוספים. כמו כן, שימש כגורם בכיר המעורב בייצור של מטענים למטרות טרור.
בנוסף, המחבל ראפת דואסי מסילת אלחרתיה, בכיר בתשתית החמאס הצבאית במרחב ג׳נין.
השניים… pic.twitter.com/y7BbTBiWQw
Situation in the Middle East
The conflict in the Gaza Strip and the escalation of violence on the West Bank could potentially evolve into a broader regional conflict involving Iran and its regional proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
The latest incident of violence on the West Bank comes amid a new round of talks in Doha aimed at ending the 10-month-long fighting in Gaza, which is set to resume next week.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel discussing preparations for the upcoming round of negotiations with the country's leadership.
For more on whether diplomacy can prevent a war between Israel and Iran, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
