A Hamas leader is killed in the third day of the Israeli operation in the West Bank

2024-08-30 17:31:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

A Hamas leader is killed in the third day of the Israeli operation in the West

Israeli forces on Friday killed a local commander of Hamas - the Palestinian group designated as a terrorist group by the US and the EU - on the third day of a major operation in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said.

The Israeli military said border police forces killed Wassem Hazem, who it said was the leader of Hamas in Jenin and was involved in shootings and bombings in Palestinian territory.

Two other Hamas members who tried to escape from the car they were traveling in were killed by a drone, she said.

Explosives and large amounts of money were found in their car, according to her.

Hamas confirmed that the three were killed, and said they were members of its armed wing, the Al-Wassam Brigades.

Israeli forces on Wednesday launched a wide-ranging operation, involving hundreds of troops and police, in Jenin and Tulkarm, in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces, backed by helicopters and drones, pushed deeper into Jenin and Tulkarm on Friday as armored bulldozers cleared roads to destroy roadside bombs planted by militant groups.

The escalation of hostilities in the West Bank comes as fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants continues in the Gaza Strip since the war began nearly 11 months ago. Also, at this time, the clashes in the Israel-Lebanon border area between Hezbollah supported by Iran and Israel have increased.

In the first two days of the Israeli operation in the West Bank, at least 17 Palestinians have been killed, including a local commander of the Islamic Jihad, the Iran-backed group, in Tulkarm.

The UK government said on Friday it was "deeply concerned" by Israel's operation in the West Bank and called for an urgent extension.

At least 652 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces since the war in Gaza began 11 months ago, according to the Palestinian Ministry. Most have died during such operations, which have often sparked clashes between Israeli forces and militants.

Israel says the operations are necessary to destroy Hamas and other militant groups and to prevent attacks against Israelis, which have also increased since the war began.

Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem during the 1967 war. The Palestinians want these three places to establish their state.

Israel has built many settlements in the West Bank, where over 500,000 Israeli settlers live. They enjoy Israeli citizenship, while over 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under the rule of the Israeli military, because the Palestinian Authority has only limited control over popular centers.

The war in Gaza began on October 7 last year, when Hamas militants swept into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 others, according to Israeli officials.

As a result of the Israeli war, parts of the Gaza Strip have been razed to the ground and at least 40,000 people have been killed, according to health authorities in the enclave./ Rel