Israeli Commandos Kill 5 West Bank Terrorists

Latest Developments​

Israeli special forces killed five Palestinian terrorists in an overnight West Bank stand-off from May 3 to May 4. Israel said the slain terrorists, including four Hamas members, had supported an attack which killed Israeli reservist Elhanan Klein in November 2023.

During a counterterrorism raid, Israel targeted multiple Palestinian terrorists considered to be an imminent threat to Israeli communities near the city of Tulkarm, which abuts the West Bank boundary. Combined Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commando and special police unit forces closed in on five terrorists who had barricaded themselves in a building in the Deir al-Ghusun village. The terrorists opened fire on the Israeli forces and seriously wounded one Israeli police officer. In the ensuing clashes which lasted over 12 hours, an IDF Hermes 450 drone carried out two air strikes on the building where the terrorists hid. The Israeli army demolished the hideout with bulldozers and seized the terrorists’ weapons.

Expert Analysis​

“This operation’s complexity and danger attests to the danger posed by terrorist cells which — in the absence of crackdowns by the Palestinian Authority — arise from West Bank cities. That Israel was willing to suffer a casualty rather than to kill the terrorists outright suggests that Israel’s original intent was to detain and question them in the hope of gaining valuable intelligence to stop more attacks.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“West Bank violence remains a pressing security concern for both Israelis and Palestinians. With nearly three years of significant unrest, neither the Palestinian Authority nor Israel have been able to resolve the problem effectively. Israel and the Palestinian Authority must develop a better strategy and work together to combat the issue of terrorism and violence in the West Bank.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Expert Analysis

“Israel Thwarts West Bank Terrorist Cell Planning Bombing Attacks,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israeli Forces Kill 14 Terrorists in West Bank Raid,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Foils West Bank ISIS Plot,” FDD Flash Brief