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Israel kills Hamas militant in rare West Bank airstrike
🇩🇰 Denmark /Conflict & Security

Israel kills Hamas militant in rare West Bank airstrike

From Berlingske · () Danish

Translated from Danish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Israel conducted an airstrike in the West Bank, killing a prominent Hamas militant and two others described as accomplices.
  • The Israeli military stated the targeted militant was involved in attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces and had ties to Hamas members abroad.
  • The incident occurs amid a significant deterioration of the situation on the West Bank since October 2023, with increased settler violence and Israeli military raids.

Israel's military announced it killed a prominent Hamas militant, Qais Bitawi, and two accomplices in an airstrike near Jenin in the West Bank. The military stated Bitawi was involved in attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces and had connections to Hamas members in Gaza and abroad. The Palestinian group Hamas confirmed Bitawi's death, and Islamic Jihad identified him as a high-ranking operative in its armed wing.

This rare airstrike on the West Bank comes amid a marked increase in violence and tension since Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel. The region has seen a surge in settler attacks against Palestinians and intensified Israeli military operations, including raids and displacement of thousands of Palestinians. Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to forced displacement.

Bitawi was involved in attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.

— Israeli militaryStatement regarding the targeted militant.

While airstrikes by the Israeli military on the West Bank are infrequent, the latest occurred in February 2025, according to AFP. These operations have led to significant displacement and prolonged military presence in certain areas. Israel denies committing war crimes.

Bitawi was a high-ranking operative in the group's armed wing.

— Islamic JihadIdentification of the deceased militant.
About this summary

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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