Israeli Airstrike in West Bank Kills Family of Four Amid Conflict \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ An Israeli airstrike on a West Bank cafe killed 18 Palestinians, including a family of four, in the Tulkarem refugee camp. The military claimed the strike targeted militants, but civilian casualties included two young children. The attack has been described as the deadliest in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
West Bank Airstrike in Tulkarem: Quick Looks
- Airstrike Aftermath: Israeli airstrike hit a three-story building in Tulkarem, killing 18 Palestinians, including a family of four.
- Military Targets: Israel claimed the attack targeted militants planning assaults on Israeli civilians but provided no supporting evidence.
- Civilian Casualties: Among the dead were members of the Abu Zahra family, including two young children, and other civilians.
- Funeral for the Dead: Mass funeral held in Tulkarem, attended by hundreds of mourners, some waving Hamas flags.
- Escalating Conflict: Airstrikes in the West Bank have grown more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Deep Look
An Israeli airstrike on Thursday night targeted a cafe in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of 18 Palestinians, including a family of four, according to relatives and Palestinian health officials. The airstrike, which hit a three-story building late in the evening, was the deadliest in the West Bank since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict nearly a year ago. The explosion destroyed a popular local cafe, leaving behind a scene of devastation.
The attack struck as Israeli military forces continue their efforts against what they describe as Palestinian militancy. The Israeli military said the airstrike aimed at Palestinian militants who were gathered to plan attacks against Israel, including a key Hamas leader within the camp. According to the military, the strike also killed a “key operative” from the Islamic Jihad militant group. However, the claim of militant activity was made without supporting evidence.
Families Trapped in the Conflict
Amidst the rubble of the cafe, paramedics and volunteers worked to recover the remains of those killed, with debris, bloodstained furniture, and dislodged iron beams strewn across the scene. Among the dead was the Abu Zahra family: Muhammad, a bakery worker; his wife, Saja; and their two young children, Sham, 8, and Karam, 6. Muhammad’s brother, Mustafa Abu Zahra, confirmed that the family lived in the apartment above the cafe. He also reported that one of Muhammad’s brothers-in-law, who was present at the time of the strike, was killed as well.
Nimer Fayat, the owner of Dr. Coffee, the cafe that was destroyed, expressed his shock at the event, describing the cafe as a place filled with “regular customers coming to eat and drink” when the strike occurred around 10:15 p.m. “What happened was a very strong blow, the likes of which we had not seen in the past since the Al-Aqsa Intifada,” Fayat said, referencing the second Palestinian uprising from the early 2000s.
The scene described by emergency responders was gruesome, with body parts flung into the air and landing on nearby power lines. Nebal Farsakh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent, noted the difficulty of recovering the dead amidst the chaos, with teams bringing nine bodies to the hospital.
Israel’s Military Claims and Response
The Israeli military stated that the airstrike successfully killed at least nine militants, including the Hamas leader in the camp, as well as a “key operative” of Islamic Jihad, both of whom it accused of participating in numerous attacks on Israeli civilians. Tulkarem, which has long been known as a hotbed of Palestinian militancy, is frequently subjected to Israeli military operations, and the military described the camp as a meeting point for militants planning further attacks.
Despite the military’s justification, no evidence was provided for these claims, and questions about the civilian casualties went unanswered. When approached for comment on the deaths of civilians, including children, the Israeli military did not immediately respond.
The situation in the West Bank has escalated considerably since the onset of the latest conflict. Israel’s military has conducted several large-scale raids in the area since the war began after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7. Airstrikes in the West Bank, once a rare occurrence, have now become more frequent, as Israel aims to prevent attacks from Palestinian militants. According to Palestinian health officials, at least 722 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, as hostilities have intensified.
The Palestinian militant response has included attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel itself, as well as a recent shooting in Tel Aviv earlier this week that killed at least six people, which Israeli police attribute to Palestinians from the West Bank.
Mourning and Fallout
On Friday, hundreds of mourners took to the streets of Tulkarem for a mass funeral to honor the 18 people killed in the airstrike. The streets were filled with grief-stricken family members and residents, some holding Hamas flags in a demonstration of anger against the attack. While Hamas did not explicitly claim any of the deceased as its fighters, it issued a statement condemning the strike and called for the people of Tulkarem to rise up.
Yasser Jibra, a relative of the Abu Zahra family, described the airstrike as being “like a lightning bolt.” He spoke about the difficulty of identifying the bodies of his relatives, pointing to the level of destruction in the building. “Look around, the destruction is so obvious,” Jibra said as he stood in the remains of the blasted-out cafe. Expressing his frustration, he added, “This is the work of the criminal occupation, which does not take into account the presence of a child or a woman, or an elderly or young person. Everything is permissible for them.”
Growing Escalation in the Conflict
The increased use of airstrikes in the West Bank is a stark reminder of the growing scope of the conflict, which initially erupted following Hamas’ unexpected incursion into southern Israel in October of last year. Since then, Israeli forces have focused their military activities on both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, stating that their aim is to dismantle militant networks that pose a threat to Israeli citizens.
The targeting of militants within populated areas has led to a significant rise in civilian casualties, as seen in Thursday night’s airstrike. Israel maintains that it aims to avoid harming non-combatants, but the frequency of such strikes and the resulting deaths of innocent people have fueled anger and resentment across Palestinian territories.
As both sides continue to suffer losses, the prospect of escalation remains high, particularly as militant groups and Israeli forces show no sign of de-escalating their respective operations. The tensions have prompted renewed concerns from the international community regarding the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded, with many calling for an end to the ongoing hostilities.
The names and details of all those who died or were injured in the Tulkarem strike have not yet been released by the Palestinian Health Ministry. However, the devastating impact on families such as the Abu Zahras highlights the enduring and deeply personal toll of the conflict, which shows no signs of abating.
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