The Israel Air Force (IAF) conducted a strike in Tulkarm as part of a joint IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) operational against Hamas activity in the West Bank, they announced late Thursday.
The strike targeted Hamas commander Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who led the Hamas network in Tulkarm, the IDF updated.
Earlier reports said the strike targeted the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Tulkarm Battalion, Ayyth Radwan. However, he is still being reported as killed in the strike by Israeli media and the IDF confirmed other terrorists had been killed.
At least 20 Palestinians were killed in the strike, according to the Palestinian health ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The strike targeted a cafe in the Al-Hamam neighborhood in the east of the town.
Fatah officials announced that there would be a general strike in Tulkarm on Friday in protest of the strike.
Who was Oufi?
The IDF revealed that Oufi planned and led the attempted car-bombing attack in Ateret in September.
Oufi supplied weaponry to a large number of terrorists in the area, planning and leading a significant amount of additional terror attacks in the West Bank.
The IDF said he was planning to execute a terror attack soon, leading to the express need to eliminate him.
Several other terrorists were eliminated in the strike, but the IDF did not confirm any other deaths.
IDF troops operated in Tulkarm in early September, attempting to root out armed groups in the city.
Reuters contributed to this report.