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.
At least 12 terrorists from the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror organizations were eliminated in this strike, the IDF later reported on Saturday.
The strike targeted Hamas commander Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who led the Hamas network in Tulkarm, the IDF announced on Thursday night. Hamas confirmed his death on Friday night.
In addition to the elimination of Oufi, head of Hamas infrastructure in Tulkarm, and Jit Radwan, a key operative in the PIJ terror organization in the Tulkarm area, the IDF confirmed on Saturday that ten more terrorists were killed in the strike, including Majdi Salem, Ayman Tangi, Basel Nafaa, Ahmed Jamal Obeid, Issam Kuzah, Atir Majdi Hussein al-Luisi, Anwar Muhammad Musa Masimi, Mahmoud Harwish, Maamun Anabtawi, and Rakkan Bilal.
The first nine on the list were affiliated with Hamas, while Bilal was affiliated with the PIJ.
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.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as escalatory and accused Israel of intentionally obstructing international efforts for peace.
IDF troops operated in Tulkarm in early September, attempting to root out armed groups in the city.
Reuters contributed to this report.