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Israeli forces continued their manhunt Friday for the perpetrators behind coordinated bus bombings in central Israel, deploying checkpoints across the West Bank, particularly near Tulkarm, in an effort to disrupt their escape.
The explosive devices, planted in crowded bus compartments, were designed to cause mass casualties, according to the Shin Bet security agency, which classified the attack as a "severe terrorist act."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Tulkarm refugee camp following the attack, where a local Hamas terrorist unit hinted at responsibility. Surrounded by Israeli troops, Netanyahu vowed an intensified crackdown.
"We are entering terrorist strongholds, leveling entire streets and eliminating terrorists," he said. "I have ordered reinforcements in the West Bank and additional operations against terror hubs."
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On Thursday, four explosive devices were planted on buses in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Three detonated almost simultaneously in bus depots in Bat Yam, while a fourth, found near Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, was defused. The attackers had planned a "mega attack," but the buses were empty at the time, preventing casualties.
Israeli authorities arrested three suspects Friday, including some Israeli Jews, for allegedly assisting the attackers. The device recovered in Holon weighed approximately 5 kg (11 lbs) and bore an inscription in Arabic reading: "Revenge from Tulkarem."
During his visit to Tulkarm, Netanyahu accused Hamas and other terror factions of continuing their efforts to strike Israel. "What we witnessed yesterday—an attempt to carry out mass-casualty chain bombings—is extremely serious," he said. "We have reinforced our forces in the West Bank and launched additional counterterror operations."
Defense Minister Israel Katz also visited Tulkarm, saying, "These terrorist attacks targeting civilians will not deter us."
A senior Hamas military commander in Tulkarm issued a statement in response, warning Israel that "all Netanyahu’s attempts to dismantle the jihad project will fail, and what is coming will be even worse." Hamas further dismissed Netanyahu’s visit as "a political and military failure" and called it "a provocative stunt to cover his repeated failures against the Palestinian resistance."
The latest bombings come amid heightened Israeli military operations in the West Bank. Hamas' Tulkarm military unit, which implied responsibility for the attack, vowed continued violence. "The revenge of our martyrs will not be forgotten as long as the occupation remains on our land," the group said in a statement.