Security forces are investigating whether a car that exploded near an IDF post near the West Bank settlement of Mevo Dotan was an explosive car bomb.
The vehicle exploded some 500 m. from an IDF post and was found to have at least three gas cylinders, explosives and a wire that according to KAN, may have allowed for remote detonation of the devices.
After the fire was put out by Palestinian firefighters, a flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was found near the car.
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) have yet to comment on the event.
Though it’s still unclear whether the car was set to explode near troops, it would mark a significant escalation in the type of attack targeting IDF forces in the West Bank.
Attacks against Israelis in recent months
Most attacks against Israelis in recent months have been shooting or stabbing attacks. There’s been a massive increase in shooting attacks against both troops and civilians in the West Bank, with at least 250 this year alone, compared to 98 in 2021 and 19 in 2020.
The Israeli military and Shin Bet have thwarted hundreds of “significant” attacks, including bombings and suicide bombings against Israeli targets.
The possible car bombing comes as senior IDF officials have noted a calming from the escalation in violence that broke out in March that killed 20 people inside Israel in a wave of terror attacks. Following the attacks, the Israeli military began Operation Break the Wave in April in an attempt to crack down on Palestinian terrorism emanating from the West Bank, mainly the cities of Jenin and Nablus.
Another 13 Israelis have been killed since the beginning of the operation, including four security forces.
Over 2,000 Palestinians have been arrested in the raids and over 130 Palestinians have been killed by forces, many of them while carrying out attacks or during clashes with Israeli forces.
On Monday morning, the IDF carried out a number of arrests, including in Jenin and the nearby village of Burkin, arresting eight wanted suspects. In Burkin, troops arrested Ratib al-Bali who was wanted for his involvement in a number of recent shootings and was “advancing significant terror attacks.”
During the operation to arrest Bali, violent riots broke out with gunmen firing against Israeli forces. Troops responded, killing one Palestinian and wounding four others.
The fatality was identified by the Palestinian Ministry of Health as 18-year-old Mahmoud Saadi, who had been shot in the stomach. He succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.