Israeli strike kills Hamas operative and two others near Jenin

Jenin, Palestine. An Israeli air strike killed Hamas operative Qais Bitawi and two accomplices near Jenin in the northern West Bank on Friday, the military said, in a rare use of deadly air power in the occupied territory. Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad militant group both said Bitawi was a member.

Strike near Jenin

The Israeli military and medics said the strike targeted a car in the Jenin area.

Israel said Bitawi had directed, funded and carried out attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces. It said he maintained ties with Hamas members in Gaza, where the group is based, and abroad.

The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said Israeli ground troops raided the drone strike site, briefly detained medics and prevented them from taking wounded or dead people to hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the ambulance service’s statement.

Operations in the West Bank

The West Bank has seen an increase in attacks by militant Israeli settlers against Palestinians, as well as Israeli military raids on Palestinian towns.

The northern West Bank, including Jenin, was the site of a major Israeli operation last year, which the military said targeted Palestinian militant strongholds.

Israeli operations in the northern West Bank in 2025 forced thousands of Palestinians from their homes, with forces clearing refugee camps and maintaining their longest presence in some West Bank cities in decades.

Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity over what it described as forced expulsions. Israel denies committing such crimes.

Gaza strikes

In Gaza, where the United States has been working to salvage a deal under which Hamas militants would disarm in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from the territory, at least five Palestinians were killed in three Israeli strikes on Friday, Gaza health officials said.