Security forces located an old, makeshift rocket in an open area of the West Bank’s Tulkarm overnight on Wednesday, likely abandoned for some time. Border Police bomb disposal experts were dispatched to neutralize it.
“The IDF is conducting searches in the area, the incident is under review,” the military said in a statement. Initial reports suggest the rocket, found without a propelling engine, may not have been launched, and even if it was, it wasn’t designed for long-range use.
The find follows a pattern of rocket-related incidents, including the arrest of a cell in April 2023 and the discovery of rocket remnants in West Bank villages in May and July 2023.
Last week, security forces uncovered and destroyed a rocket factory near Ramallah before terrorists could launch it. Emek Hefer Regional Council head Galit Shaul called the Tulkarm discovery “a serious escalation” following the Ramallah finds, saying, “The threat to our communities, like all of central Israel, is clear and immediate.
“We demand significant troop reinforcement in Judea and Samaria, proactive intelligence gathering, preventive actions and security deployments. We can’t wait—this threat must be cut off swiftly and decisively.”
Last week, security forces in the Ramallah area exposed a cell producing rockets intended for launch in the West Bank, finding dozens of rockets—including two without warheads—along with explosives and materials linking the group to manufacturing and launch attempts.
Security forces removing rockets in the West Bank
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Counter-terror officers and Shin Bet agents arrested the terrorists, with helmet-camera footage showing them storming the hideout as the suspects fired rockets and live rounds. The IDF released footage of the weapons’ destruction, including an explosion at the Ramallah site.
“IDF forces, led by the Binyamin Brigade, Central Command’s combat engineering unit and additional forces destroyed the rockets, explosives and materials found in the Ramallah complex.” Two weeks ago, a test launch from the Palestinian village of Ni’ma targeted Jewish settlements in the West Bank but fell off mark.