The Israeli military confirmed on Friday that it has killed Mohammad Abdullah, a top commander of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, in an airstrike. Abdullah, who was the commander for the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem, West Bank, was targeted in an Israeli operation on Thursday.
Israeli forces said the airstrike eliminated Abdullah, alongside another militant, as part of their ongoing campaign against Islamic Jihad and its operations in the occupied West Bank. The military also reported recovering M-16 rifles and combat vests during the operation.
Abdullah had recently taken over leadership in the area following the death of his predecessor, Muhammad Jabber, also known as Abu Shujaa, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in August. Islamic Jihad, a key ally of Hamas, has been engaged in violent clashes with Israeli forces both in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Violence in the region has escalated dramatically since Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel in October last year. Israeli military operations, coupled with attacks by settlers, have resulted in the deaths of at least 705 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry. During the same period, at least 24 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have lost their lives due to militant attacks or military operations.
The ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants continues to destabilize the region, with no immediate end in sight.
Sources By Agencies
