Israel kills Hamas operative in rare West Bank air strike, military says
Israeli forces conducted a rare air strike in the West Bank, killing a Hamas operative and two accomplices. The operation has drawn criticism from humanitarian groups regarding the treatment of medical personnel at the scene.
Why it matters
The use of air power in the West Bank marks an escalation in Israeli military tactics, further complicating the security situation in the occupied territory.
Israeli military forces stand by a building, following an Israeli military airstrike, in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 28, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman — Mohamad Torokman JENIN, West Bank, Aug 28 (Reuters) - An Israeli strike killed a Hamas operative and two of his accomplices in the West Bank on Friday, the military said, in a rare use of deadly air power in the occupied territory.
Hamas confirmed the man that Israel named as Qais Bitawi was one of its members and condemned the attack that killed him. The allied Islamic Jihad militant group also claimed him as a member.
The air strike targeted a car in the area of Jenin in the northern West Bank, the Israeli military and medics said.
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