Israel to launch major West Bank operation after bus explosions

Israel says it will launch a major offensive in the West Bank after three buses exploded in a suspected terror attack on Thursday evening.

Israel says it will launch a major offensive against Palestinian militants in the West Bank after bombs on three buses exploded on Thursday evening in the central city of Bat Yam — days before crucial talks on the second phase of the ceasefire.

Defence Minister Israel Katz accused “Palestinian terrorist organisations” of carrying out the blasts, which local officials said did not result in any injuries.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the leader “views the placing of explosives on buses as a very serious incident and will order decisive action against terror elements in the West Bank”.

Mr Netanyahu’s order came after the PM held a security meeting late on Thursday night following the blasts.

He has also instructed police and the Shin Bet internal security agency to “increase preventative activities” in Israeli cities to prevent further attacks.

Earlier, Mr Katz said he had ordered the military to step up its offensives across the occupied territory, particularly in refugee camps, which he described as “a forward base for the Iranian axis of evil”.

Police are treating it as a terror attack.

“In light of the serious attempted attacks in the Gush Dan (central) area by Palestinian terrorist organisations against the civilian population in Israel, I have instructed the IDF (military) to intensify operations to thwart terrorism in the Tulkarem refugee camp and in all the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria,” Mr Katz said in a statement, using the biblical term for the West Bank.

“We will hunt down the terrorists to the bitter end and destroy the terror infrastructure in the camps ... Residents who give shelter to terror will pay a heavy price.”

Bat Yam, a busy city just south of Tel Aviv, was rocked by three explosions of buses in different locations in what police described as a “suspected terror attack” in early investigations.

“Preliminary report — suspected terror attack. Multiple reports have been received of explosions involving several buses at different locations in Bat Yam,” police said in a statement.

Israeli police inspect the scene of one of a series of bus explosions.

Three devices exploded on buses while two were successfully disabled by responders on the site, according to police.

One of the unexploded bombs was defused in Holon, a town near Bat Yam.

A large number of police were deployed to search for suspects, the police statement said.

“Police bomb disposal units are scanning for additional suspicious objects. We urge the public to avoid the areas and remain alert for any suspicious items,” it added.

Israeli soldiers during a raid in the Tulkarem camp in the occupied West Bank. Picture: Zain Jaafar/AFP

Footage has spread online showing flames engulfing one of the buses in an empty car park, with a plume of smoke billowing in all directions.

Police said “large police forces are at the scenes, searching for suspects”.

The explosive devices had timers, and were intended to be set off at 9am on the following day, but were accidentally set for 9pm.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev issued an order to halt services and conduct a search of all buses, trains and light rails for additional explosive devices.

Police are still trying to determine how many suspects were involved in the incident, Tel Aviv district police chief Haim Sargarof said.

Israel says it will step up its ongoing offensive in the West Bank in response to the blasts. Picture: Majdi Mohammed/AP

Mr Sargarof said in a televised briefing that the devices used to set off the blasts were similar to those found in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

He said there was “something written” on the devices, without elaborating.

According to The Times of Israel, Hamas’ so-called Tulkarem Battalion has not directly claimed responsibility for the blasts but a Telegram channel claiming to represent the group posted, “The revenge of the martyrs will not be forgotten so long as the occupier is present on our land… This is a jihad of either victory or martyrdom.”

Bat Yam Mayor Tzika Brot said it was a miracle no one was hurt, as the buses had finished their routes and were sitting in the parking lot.

The IDF, Shin Bet and Israeli police are jointly investigating the bombings.

Since the ceasefire on January 19, the IDF has been conducting a broad military offensive in the West Bank, and targeted Tulkarem and two refugee camps in the city during recent raids.

Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has escalated since the October 2023 outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip.

At least 897 Palestinians including militants have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the Gaza war began, according to an AFP tally based on figures provided by the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah.

At least 32 Israelis, including some soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or confrontations during Israeli operations in the West Bank over the same period, according to official Israeli figures.

It comes as negotiations are yet to start on the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

So far in the first phase, which is due to end on March 2, a total of 33 hostages — eight of whom were dead — have been released from Gaza in exchange for nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said talks will begin this week on the truce’s second phase, aiming to lay out a more permanent end to the war.

A Hamas spokesman on Thursday accused Mr Netanyahu of “procrastinating regarding the second phase”, saying the group was “ready to engage”.

Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP on Wednesday that Hamas was ready to free all remaining hostages held in Gaza in a single swap during phase two.

Hamas and its allies took 251 people hostage during the October 7 attack. Around 70 hostages are thought to remain in Gaza, half of whom Israel believes are dead.

— with AFP