The incident occurred around 4:00 AM when the Israeli army surrounded a building in the Tulkarm camp, where Abu Shujaa and several other Palestinian fighters were located.
The Israeli military announced on Thursday that it had killed the commander of the Tulkarm Battalion, Mohammad Jaber, known by his nom de guerre Abu Shujaa, along with four other battalion members during an exchange of fire at the Nur Shams camp in the West Bank.
This came as part of a large-scale military operation that began on Wednesday.
According to Israel’s Channel 14, the incident occurred around 4:00 AM when the Israeli army surrounded a building in the Tulkarm camp, where Abu Shujaa and several other Palestinian fighters were located.
The home in Tulkarem where Palestinian resistance fighters, including commander Abu Shujaa and several resistance fighters, were fortified and engaged in fierce clashes against the invading forces.
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During the ensuing exchange of gunfire, an Israeli army unit reportedly fired a missile at the building.
Following the clashes, Abu Shujaa and four others were killed, while the Israeli army captured another wanted Palestinian from the building.
The Israeli military also reported that one of its soldiers was injured during the confrontation at the Nur Shams camp.
Nafir and Assassination Attempts
Abu Shujaa, the 26-year-old leader of the Tulkarm Brigades was the target of assassination by the Israeli army for years.
Last July, under protests from ordinary Palestinians, he was freed from the Thabet Thabet hospital in Tulkarm, which had been placed under siege, not by the Israeli military, but by Palestinian Authority Police.
When the news emerged that Abu Shujaa, and possibly others, were besieged by PA security forces in the hospital, Palestinian groups, including the military arm of the Fatah movement declared nafir, an Arabic word indicating popular mobilization.
Last April, the Israeli army invaded the Tulkarm refugee camp, carrying out one of its deadliest operations in years, which resulted in the killing of 14 Palestinians and the wounding of many more.
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At the time, after rumors that Abu Shujaa was killed, the young man appeared at the mass funeral of his colleagues, brandishing his automatic rifle and delivering an emotive speech about the continuation of the resistance.
Israel had been seeking to arrest him or kill him ever since, especially as the Tulkarm Brigades emerged as one of the strongest of the fighting groups that are resisting the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
Expansion of Operations
Eyewitnesses noted that the Israeli military has expanded its operations in Jenin, continuing to besiege and raid homes in its eastern neighborhood.
The army also stormed several neighborhoods in the city, sent in military reinforcements, and engaged in ongoing armed clashes with Palestinian fighters, with explosions heard intermittently, according to Al-Jazeera.
The Red Crescent reported that a Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces in Jenin’s eastern neighborhood.
The military operation has also intensified in Tulkarm, where Israeli forces stormed the camp, raided Palestinian homes, and detained numerous citizens for field investigations. Explosions and gunfire have been frequently reported in various areas of Tulkarm.
Massive destruction in the Tulkarm camp.
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Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces withdrew from Al-Faraa camp in Tubas, leaving significant destruction behind.
The correspondent also mentioned that the Israeli army stormed Al-Arroub camp, north of Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the southern West Bank, early Thursday morning for the second time in a few hours.
The army continued to besiege the Jenin and Nur Shams camps in Tulkarm amid ongoing clashes with resistance fighters and the sound of loud explosions.
The Israeli military also conducted a series of raids in the city of Nablus and the Balata and Askar camps, arresting several citizens.
Large-Scale Operation
For the second consecutive day, the Israeli army has continued its military operation across cities and towns in the northern occupied West Bank, expanding its efforts in Tulkarm while withdrawing from the Far’a camp.
The number of Palestinian casualties has risen to 17 dead and over 20 wounded.
On Wednesday, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced that the Israeli army had launched a large-scale operation in the northern West Bank, with security forces operating simultaneously in Jenin and Tulkarm.
Under the cover of air support, large Israeli forces stormed Jenin, Tulkarm, their respective camps, and the Far’a camp near Tubas in the early hours of the morning. Israeli drones conducted at least three raids, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
The Israeli military confirmed that combat helicopters and drones are involved in the operation to support ground forces, and the operation is expected to continue for several days.
Channel 14 Israel described this operation as the largest since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.
Amid its ongoing conflict in Gaza since October 7, the Israeli army has intensified its attacks in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of 670 Palestinians, including 150 children, injuries to more than 5,400 people, and the arrest of over 10,000 individuals.
(PC, AJA)
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