Israeli forces attack West Bank mosque, kills five Palestinians

Overnight, Israeli forces killed five Palestinian who were hiding in a mosque in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, the IDF, police and Shin Bet say.

The IDF launched a large-scale operation in Tulkarem yesterday. Troops are also operating in the city of Jenin and the Far’a camp near Tubas as part of the operation. Yesterday, Palestinian media reported that 11 Palestinians had been killed amid the ongoing IDF operation, meaning the toll has now risen to 16.

In Tulkarem, troops of Border Police’s elite Yamam counterterrorism unit battled a group of gunmen who had been holed up in a mosque, following intelligence of their whereabouts provided by the Shin Bet, the joint statement says.

Five Palestinian gunmen were killed and one Israeli Yamam officer was lightly hurt in the exchange, according to the military.

Among the dead is Muhammad Jaber, known as Abu Shuja’a, who had been previously reported by Palestinian media to be the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s local wing in the Nur Shams camp in Tulkarem.

The Shin Bet says Jaber was involved in planning and directing many terror attacks, including the killing of Amnon Muchtar in a terror attack in Qalqilya in June.

Another terror operative was arrested, according to the statement.

Palestinian media names the arrested individual as Mohammed Qassas, a member of Islamic Jihad’s local wing in Tulkarem.