After Nasrallah, now Hamas commander is the target, 18 people killed in an Israeli air strike.

Israel carried out an airstrike in Tulkarem, West Bank late Thursday night. After which the Health Ministry of the Palestinian Authority said that at least 18 people were killed in one of the deadliest airstrikes on the West Bank in recent days.

A joint statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet said that the attack targeted Zahi Yasser Abd al-Razek Awfi, the top Hamas commander in Tulkaram, along with several other terrorists. According to the army, Awfi was planning a terrorist attack.

Who is Commander Aufi?

The statement said Ofi planned and led the car bombing attack near the Ateret settlement last month. According to the army, he was also involved in providing weapons to other terrorist operatives who recently carried out several attacks in the West Bank and Israel, in which Israeli civilians were also injured.

The IDF said Aoufi worked on behalf of Hamas to establish a terrorist network. Then he assisted terrorist operatives in carrying out shootings and explosive attacks in the region. The IDF said he intended to attack in the immediate time frame and was therefore targeted.

18 Palestinians killed

The IDF carried out dozens of airstrikes on the West Bank last year. However, these attacks were mostly from drones and helicopters. Apart from the death of 18 Palestinians in Thursday's attack, many others were also injured. A source in the Palestinian security services said that this attack is the deadliest attack on the West Bank since the year 2000.

Appeal to hold Israel accountable

A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on Israel to be held accountable for the heinous crime, calling the attack a genocide in a statement. Hamas condemned Israel for the attack and warned it would be a dangerous escalation. Other Palestinian groups also condemned Israel, with Abbas' Fatah movement calling for demonstrations today in honor of the brave martyrs of Tukaram.

Wanted Palestinians arrested

Tulkarum has been the focus of recent Israeli counterterrorism operations in West Bank towns and refugee camps, part of an increase in almost daily military raids aimed at rooting out Palestinian militant groups following a Hamas offensive from Gaza on October 7. Since October 7, troops have arrested about 5,250 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank, including more than 2,050 Hamas affiliates.

Israeli security personnel were killed.

According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, more than 716 Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says most of them were gunmen killed in crossfire, rioters clashing with troops, or militants carrying out attacks. During the same period, 40 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terrorist attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with militant operatives in the West Bank.