Netanyahu Visits West Bank City of Tulkarem Following Attempted Tel Aviv Area Bus Bombings

Latest Developments

Netanyahu Visits IDF Troops in Tulkarem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the West Bank city of Tulkarem on February 21, hours after bombs planted on three buses that were intended to explode during the morning rush hour in Tel Aviv detonated prematurely. Unconfirmed reports from Israeli media said that one unexploded device discovered during security sweeps last night bore the words “Revenge from Tulkarem.”
Bolstering Troops in West Bank Terror Hubs: During his visit, Netanyahu said that he had “instructed reinforcements to be sent” to the West Bank “for additional operations against terrorist strongholds.” The Prime Minister refrained from confirming whether the February 20 bombing plot in Tel Aviv had originated in Tulkarem but stated during his visit that, despite ongoing IDF operations in the city, the terror “threat has not disappeared.” He added, “What we saw yesterday — the attempt to carry out a series of mass terror attacks — is extremely serious.”
Defense Minister Ramps Up IDF Intensity, Vows to Eliminate Returning Terrorists: During a separate visit to Tulkarem on February 21, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Palestinian prisoners being released in the West Bank as part of the ongoing ceasefire with Hamas not to return to terrorism. “We have our eyes on you and will hunt down and eliminate everyone who is involved in terrorism,” Katz said in a statement. The defense minister added that he had instructed the army to intensify its counterterrorism operations in the West Bank following the attempted Tel Aviv attack.

FDD Expert Response

“Israeli security forces have been conducting a broad military campaign against terrorist groups in the northern West Bank for weeks. Still, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s and Defense Minister Katz’s visits to Tulkarem may have been motivated by another reason. Initial indications suggest a link to the bus bombings in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv, on Thursday. Tulkarem functions as a critical hub for terrorist groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which are likely high on the list of suspected groups that may be tied to the bombings.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“While Israel avoided a major catastrophe due to terrorist incompetence, the next inevitable attempted attack may be more successful. As more terrorists are released into the West Bank as part of Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas, existing terror organizations will begin to draw on the experience of Second Intifada-era bombmakers and terrorist leaders eager to resume attacks against Israel. The respective visits of Netanyahu and Katz to the heart of Tulkarem, a major hub for terrorism throughout the past year, indicate how seriously the Israelis view this threat.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor