Five dead in Israeli air strike in West Bank: reports
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A commander in the Palestinian armed group Hamas has been killed in an Israeli air strike on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, Hamas media reports – one of five fatalities, a local news agency says.
The identities of the four other males killed in the strike on Saturday were not clear, a Palestine News Agency report citing health officials said.
The Israeli military said it had carried out an air strike against a militant cell around the West Bank city of Tulkarm.
Hamas media said a vehicle carrying fighters had been struck and one of the commanders of its Tulkarm brigades was killed.
Violence in the West Bank was on the rise before the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began on October 7 and has escalated since, with frequent Israeli raids in the territory.
Tensions have soared after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Hezbollah senior military commander Fuad Shukr.
Haniyeh’s death was one in a series of killings of senior Hamas figures as the war in Gaza between the Palestinian militants and Israel nears its 11th month and concern grows that the conflict is spreading across the Middle East.
Hamas and Iran have both accused Israel of carrying out the assassination and have pledged to retaliate against their foe.
Israel has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for the death.
Hezbollah, also backed by Iran, has also vowed revenge.
The air strike came after the US military said it would deploy additional fighter jets and navy warships to the Middle East to bolster defences as Washington braced for Iran to make good on its vow to respond to Haniyeh’s killing.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin approved sending additional navy cruisers and destroyers – which can shoot down ballistic missiles – to the Middle East and Europe.
An additional squadron of fighter jets will also be sent to the Middle East.
“Austin has ordered adjustments to US military posture designed to improve US force protection, to increase support for the defence of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, discussed new US defensive military deployments to support Israel against threats such as missiles and drones, the White House said.
Earlier, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US did not believe escalation was inevitable.
“I think we are being very direct in our messaging that certainly we don’t want to see heightened tensions and we do believe there is an off-ramp here and that is that ceasefire deal,” Singh said.
Netanyahu’s office said an Israeli delegation would leave for Cairo on Saturday or Sunday for negotiations to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Netanyahu did not want to end the war and accused him of using “empty statements to cover up his crimes and evade their consequences”.
Reuters
