At least 20 people KILLED in an Israeli airstrike targeting a café packed with civilians

10/10/2024 / By Richard Brown

Israel conducted an airstrike on a café in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem late on Oct. 3, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 people. This attack is being called the worst massacre in the territory since the Second Intifada.

The airstrike killed two prominent Palestinian militants: Ghaith Radwan, a commander in the Quds Brigades, and Zahi al-Aoufi, a member of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades.

Al-Aoufi was reportedly the head of Hamas’ organizational structure in Tulkarem and was accused of supplying weapons to terrorist operatives and planning attacks on Israeli settlements, according to Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth. The Israeli army and the Shin Bet security service claimed in a joint statement that key operatives involved in terrorist activities in Tulkarem were “eliminated” in the strike. (Related: Palestinians mutilated, tossed off rooftop by Israeli forces in West Bank’s Qabatiya.)

The Israeli military confirmed launching the airstrike, firing at least one missile at the café in the densely populated Hamam neighborhood of Tulkarem. At the time of the attack, the café was packed with civilians.

According to reports from the WAFA news agency, the scene was one of chaos as civil defense teams and ambulances rushed to Thabet Thabet Government Hospital to treat the casualties.

This assault marks the first time in over two decades that Israeli fighter jets have been used to bomb a city in the West Bank. The last time such a scale of bombardment occurred was during the Second Intifada, a major Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that among the dead were members of the Abu Zahra family, including Mohamed Abu Zahra, his wife Saja Karoush and their two young children. Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation, with bodies scattered amid the debris. One survivor, café owner Nimr Fayed, who lost his brother in the attack, recounted the destruction, saying: “There were bodies strewn on the fences, the utility poles, the roads and under the rubble.”

The strike is part of a broader Israeli military campaign across the West Bank that began on Aug. 28, targeting several cities with airstrikes, raids and assassinations. These operations have left hundreds of Palestinians dead in 2023, including more than 100 children. Tulkarem alone has seen nearly 100 casualties this year, according to United Nations figures.

Palestinians condemn the attack, call it a MASSACRE

The Palestinian Authority and other Palestinian groups have condemned the attack, calling it a “massacre.”

In a statement, the Palestinian Authority held Israel fully responsible for the attack’s repercussions. Many Palestinians in Tulkarem remain resolute despite the grief and destruction, with residents vowing to carry on despite the heavy losses. One resident declared: “We will replace each martyr with 10 new babies. May God give us victory. This occupation’s end is certain.”

The attack came hours after a U.S. State Department warning that Israel’s escalating military actions in Lebanon could provoke tensions in the West Bank.

Since early October 2023, Israeli forces have intensified their assaults across Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, resulting in widespread destruction and the deaths of over 42,500 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and nearly 2,000 Lebanese, according to reports.

The Israeli army has increased the use of airstrikes and ground raids in the West Bank over the past two years. Combat helicopters, drones and other military assets have frequently been deployed in densely populated refugee camps, which have been repeatedly raided.

However, the use of fighter jets in the Oct. 3 attack marks a significant escalation. The sheer scale of the bombardment shocked many, including survivors who described scenes of panic as they tried to rescue the wounded from the rubble.

As tensions escalate across the region, international observers and human rights groups have raised concerns about the increasing loss of civilian life and the ongoing violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.

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