'Every terrorist we identify is marked for death': IDF Special Forces operate in Tulkarm

Duvdevan Special Forces, stretched across multiple fronts since October 7, return to their core mission: eliminating armed terrorists in the West Bank; Recent operations in Tulkarm reveal tactical ambushes, drone technology and the dismantling of explosives and terror networks

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Yoav Zitun|
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the IDF's Duvdevan Special Forces, which has been stretched thin since October 7, 2023, across three combat zones, has recently returned – mostly – to its original purpose and primary expertise: combating armed terrorists in the alleys of the West Bank. Exclusive footage from the fighting in the alleys of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm reveals the complexity of their operations.
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Duvdevan in action
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The unit led a major operation in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm, last month as part of its role at the forefront of the IDF’s offensive lines in the northern section of the West Bank and again in recent days. This offensive activity, conducted near the seamline and just three kilometers in a straight line from Route 6 and the communities of Hefer Valley Regional Council, takes place in a world so near yet far from the calm of the Sharon region, north of greater Tel Aviv. During an operation that began in recent days in Tulkarm, two armed militants were already eliminated, including the leader of the local terrorist network, and approximately 20 explosive devices were detonated.
Duvdevan eliminated more than 10 armed terrorists during the operation – both on the ground and from the air. They conducted nighttime ambushes and daytime searches, attempting to reach every last armed terrorists. They uncovered large stockpiles of weapons in the camp and the command centers of terror groups, which had likely been used to plan the attack that prompted the unit's offensive: a large-scale incursion into Israeli territory by dozens of armed terrorists, inspired by the deadly October 7 massacre.
Duvdevan thwarted the incursion. The threat level decreased following the operation, but Central Command estimates it is only a matter of time before the soldiers will be required to return to the area –just as they have raided this hostile camp dozens of times in the past two years. Exclusive footage from the operation, obtained by Ynet, reveals the challenges of fighting in the densely built and crowded urban terrain: numerous blind spots, narrow streets, hidden explosive devices and the need for precise command and control by officers. The simple understanding is clear: every armed terrorist identified is sentenced to death.
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פעילות דובדבן בטול כרם
פעילות דובדבן בטול כרם
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The soldiers were documented using the small "Tarnegol" ("Rooster") drones, which were first revealed last year. These drones can move and jump over obstacles on the ground, navigate narrow paths or tunnels, and then fly through windows and rooms.
"We’ve eliminated enemies in large numbers across the West Bank in recent months – dozens of armed terrorists we’ve killed, piles of explosive devices we’ve destroyed. Tulkarm is no longer the same place it used to be," said Captain N., a platoon commander in the unit, in an interview with Ynet.
In footage from the operation, Duvdevan and Shin Bet operatives can be seen operating together in Jenin. The unit has returned to its original mission.
"We saw explosive devices even on the peripheral roads around Nur al-Shams. They are prepared for our entry, but we eliminate them even when they barricade themselves inside houses," added Captain N. "We don’t take risks with our soldiers – every armed terrorist is immediately killed. This is what the unit does best, transitioning seamlessly between missions, moving from Gaza to Lebanon and back to the West Bank."
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In Tulkarm, Duvdevan worked, as it has in Nablus and other strongholds of terror organizations in the West Bank, alongside reserve soldiers, sometimes deployed independently when the regular forces were primarily engaged in operations in Gaza or Lebanon.
During the Tulkarm operation, soldiers also discovered bomb-making labs, lathes for manufacturing weapons and explosives with remote activation capabilities hidden in children’s school bags. "Terrorists simply fled, but we ambushed them," described Captain N. "They left behind hot cups of coffee, active phones and electricity running. We even found large improvised vehicle bombs weighing tens of kilograms. I don’t think we’ll be fighting there in cycles because each time there are fewer enemies and fewer weapons. They try to flee the camp whenever we enter."
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Duvdevan and Shin Bet in Jenin
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Captain N. explained, as reported two weeks ago by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, that the IDF finds it challenging to strike the many armed terrorists present during funeral processions.
"It’s very complicated to operate there because there are many uninvolved civilians. Still, we work nonstop, thwarting attacks daily and arresting, on average, about 10 wanted terrorists weekly – just the unit alone."
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