Palestinian Terrorists Unleash Twin Car Bombings in West Bank

Latest Developments

Terrorists carried out coordinated twin car bombings in the West Bank on August 30, triggering an Israeli dragnet in the city of Hebron, where two of the Palestinians involved in the operation lived.

In the first late-night incident, a Palestinian set fire to his car at a gas station in Gush Etzion junction, igniting a blast that was apparently intended to spread to the pumps. Israeli emergency personnel who came to douse the flames were attacked by the terrorist, who was shot dead by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops. Around 20 minutes later, a second terrorist rammed his vehicle through the gates of the nearby Israeli community of Karmei Tzur, colliding with a security patrol car, at which point his vehicle exploded. A guard was injured in the incident.

Israeli security forces identified the Palestinians as men in their 20s from Hebron, a hotbed of support for the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist organization, conducting raids in the city. A bomb lab was uncovered and destroyed, and six suspected terrorists detained. Heavy fighting was also reported in the city of Jenin, where the IDF eliminated around 30 terrorists, according to Israeli media accounts.

Expert Analysis

“While the execution of this twin terrorist attack was, mercifully, inept, it is ringing alarms bells in Israel. Whoever organized this – and the likeliest suspect is Hamas – managed to find two recruits willing to die in the course of committing mass-murder and capable of coordinating their actions. Coming after the botched Tel Aviv suicide bombing of August 18, such tactics are emanating from the West Bank at ever-greater intensity. The Israelis must move fast to seize explosives and recruits before the trend becomes a strategic threat.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Facing defeat by the Israel Defense Forces on the battlefield, Palestinian terrorist groups are increasingly leaning towards a resumption of ‘martyrdom operations’ – suicide attacks designed to kill or maim as many Israelis as possible. Speaking to a conference in Turkey this week, senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashal gave a full-throated endorsement of this murderous strategy, which wreaked havoc in Israel during the Second Intifada in the 2000s.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Israel Targets Terrorist Commanders in West Bank

During intensive operations in the West Bank over the last week, the IDF successfully eliminated Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) military commanders. On August 29, the IDF targeted and eliminated PIJ commander Muhammed Jabber in the city of Tulkarem. According to the IDF, the operation involved the Shin Bet intelligence agency, Yamam (National Counter-Terrorism Unit), and military troops who were deployed to a mosque where Jabber was found hiding alongside four gunmen. The following day, Israel Border Police eliminated local Hamas commander Wessam Khazem in the city of Jenin. The IDF said Border Police forces, acting on Shin Bet information, located Hazem in a vehicle and eliminated him. An Israeli aircraft eliminated two additional Hamas members who had fled from the car in which they and Khazem were traveling. Troops located M16 rifles, a handgun, ammunition, explosives, gas grenades, and thousands of shekels in the vehicle, the IDF noted.

Related Analysis

“Israel Eliminates Hamas Commander in Jenin,” FDD Flash Brief

“NATO Member Turkey Hosts Conference With Hamas Leader Calling for Suicide Bombings,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Eliminates Palestinian Islamic Jihad Commander in Tulkarem,” FDD Flash Brief