Jerusalem, Aug 30 (IANS) Israel announced on Friday that it had killed a Hamas commander in Jenin, West Bank, marking the third day of one of its biggest offensives in the Israeli-occupied territory in months.
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet domestic security agency identified the commander as Wassem Hazem in a joint statement. According to the Israeli military, Hazem was the head of Hamas in Jenin and was involved in planning shooting and bombing attacks against Israelis, Xinhua news agency reported.
Hazem was killed during a gunfight with weapons in a vehicle. Two other Hamas terrorists were killed by a drone when they were trying to escape in a car. No Israeli army personnel were reported injured in this attack.
Israel carried out a large-scale raid in the northern West Bank on Wednesday morning. It said that the aim of this operation is to prevent future attacks against Israel. Palestinian sources said that roads, houses and infrastructure have been severely damaged. The Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed that 16 people have been killed in the raid.
According to the ministry, more than 650 people have been killed in the West Bank since the start of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year.
–IANS
PSK/GKT
