An Israel Police officer serving in the National Counter-Terrorism Unit (Yamam) was critically injured on Saturday during an operation in the West Bank near the Palestinian city of Tulkarem and was evacuated to the hospital.
During the 13-hour operation led by security forces, terrorists barricaded themselves in one of the homes and opened fire on the troops. At least five terrorists were killed in the clash, and one of them turned himself in.
The forces fired Metador missiles at the house, attacked it using strike drones, and also employed bulldozers to demolish the building. The operation continued from nighttime until noon.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported the forces surrounded the house for hours while engaging the terrorists inside and imposing a curfew on the town. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society alleged that the troops "prevented our crews from reaching one of the casualties."
The IDF later confirmed the eliminated terrorists were involved in a shooting attack near the settlement of Beit Lid. The deadly November 2 shooting claimed the life of 29-year-old Elhanan Klein, a father of three from the settlement of Enav in the northern West Bank.
Klein, a reservist on duty, was driving when terrorists overtook his vehicle between the Shavei Shomron and Enav settlements and opened fire. Klein lost control of his vehicle, which veered off the road and overturned. He was declared dead shortly after.
The West Bank has changed its face in the past seven months since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Terrorist cells in the area are now highly motivated, and there are many international bodies, including Iran, that are funneling money to terrorist organizations in the region through various methods in order to escalate tensions further.