A Palestinian attacker drove his car into a crowd in Tel Aviv today, injuring at least seven people, some of them critically. Several Palestinian militant groups described the attack as a reaction to a military operation in the northern West Bank that had started the day before. This continued on Tuesday.
The attacker in Tel Aviv was shot dead by a civilian, according to local police. He had therefore first crashed into a group of pedestrians at a bus stop and then stabbed them with a sharp object. According to the Israeli rescue service, five people were taken to nearby hospitals after the attack. A 46-year-old was therefore still in mortal danger in the afternoon.
Hamas: Response to military action in Jenin
Israeli security circles said the 20-year-old from a village near Hebron entered Israel without a permit. According to Hamas, the ruling party in the Gaza Strip, he was a member of the Palestinian organization. A Hamas spokesman said the attack was a “first reaction” to a large-scale military operation by Israel in the West Bank. He was a sign that the “occupation will pay the price for the crimes in Jenin”. Other militant Palestinian groups also spoke of a connection with the events in Jenin.
Israel’s army launched one of the largest military operations in the West Bank in decades on Monday night. After several air strikes, the army moved into the Palestinian city of Jenin with around a thousand soldiers. Since then, they have fought several firefights with armed residents. At least 11 people were killed and 100 others injured.
According to the army, Israel wants to smash “terrorist infrastructure” there. An end to the mission was not foreseeable in the afternoon. However, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the mission could soon be over. “In these moments we complete the mission,” Netanyahu said, according to media reports, during a visit to a military post near Jenin. Nevertheless, he made it clear that the action was “not a one-off process, we will continue as long as necessary”.
nucleus of militant Palestinians
The region around Jenin and the associated local refugee camp with around 17,000 inhabitants have been considered the nucleus for militant Palestinians for years. In addition to Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, Islamic Jihad and other loose groups have also gained influence. They are largely funded by Iran, Israel’s nemesis.
Actually, the Palestinian Authority is responsible for the city. However, the Israeli military accuses her of having lost control. They do not take adequate action against terrorist activities.
The last time there was a comparable operation was a good 20 years ago during the second Palestinian uprising. In 2002, Israeli soldiers and militant Palestinians fought for days in the narrow streets of the camp. More than 50 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed at the time.
Israeli police urge vigilance
Israel’s police chief Kobi Schabtai called for increased vigilance after the attack in Tel Aviv. The motivation for attacks increased due to the military operation in Jenin.
Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers continued their military offensive in the Palestinian city, which is less than 80 kilometers from Jerusalem. The army said several weapons and military equipment were confiscated early in the morning. In addition, according to the information, an underground shaft for storing explosive devices and “premises of terrorist organizations” were destroyed.
According to Palestinian reports, thousands of people were evacuated from the refugee camp during the night and taken to nearby emergency shelters. Several human rights organizations have expressed concern about the situation on the ground for the civilian population.
The security situation is extremely tense
Tel Aviv has been the target of attacks several times this year. The security situation in Israel and in the West Bank, with around three million inhabitants, has been tense for a long time, and violence has recently increased again. Since the beginning of the year, more than two dozen people have died in attacks by Palestinians. During the same period, around 150 Palestinians were killed in violent clashes, Israeli military operations or after their own attacks.
Israel had conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War. The Palestinians claim the territories as part of their own state. However, a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict that has been going on for decades seems a long way off. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have been deadlocked since 2014.
