Netanyahu oversees IDF deployment in Samaria following bus bombings in central Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inspected the Israeli military deployment in Tulkarm in northern Samaria on Friday. His visit to the area, known to be a hub for Palestinian terrorists, comes just one day after Israeli authorities prevented several bus bombings in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

“We are entering terror hubs, leveling entire streets and eliminating terrorists,” Netanyahu told Israeli troops. “I have instructed reinforcements to be sent to Judea and Samaria and for additional operations against terrorist strongholds.”

The prime minister emphasized the gravity of the foiled bus bombings that could have potentially killed a large number of Israeli civilians.

“What we have witnessed yesterday - an attempt to perpetrate a series of terrorist attacks with mass casualties - is a very severe situation,” Netanyahu assessed. “I have full confidence in our brave soldiers to complete this mission.”

On Thursday evening, two buses exploded within minutes at a parking lot in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv. The buses were reportedly evacuated shortly before they exploded after an individual had alerted the authorities about a suspicious object that turned out to be a bomb. Altogether, four bombs at different locations in the larger Tel Aviv area were used in what has been described as an attempted “mega attack.”

"It's a miracle – this could have been a major attack," Israel Police spokesperson, Aryeh Doron, told Israel's news outlet Kan Reshet Bet.

Ophir Karni, CEO of the targeted Dan Bus Company, spoke about the thwarted terror incident in an interview with Kan.

"The incident began around 8 p.m. when the terminal manager received a call from a driver near the terminal. A passenger on the bus pointed out a suspicious bag, and the driver was instructed to head to the terminal immediately. When he arrived, the shift manager told him to evacuate the bus. The explosion occurred just after everyone had moved away."

Israel has been largely spared from deadly terrorist bus bombings since the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.

The bus bombing attempts come as the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza has intensified its efforts to spread terrorism inside Israel and in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Israeli forces have expanded the manhunt for the bus bombing suspects, especially in the Tulkarm area, which is close to the Israeli border. The domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, already described the incident as a "severe terrorist act."

It is still unclear whether Hamas is behind the failed bus explosions in central Israel. However, the terrorist group’s military wing in Tulkarm implied they might have been involved in the attempted attacks.

“The revenge of the martyrs will not be forgotten as long as the occupier remains on our land. This is a jihad of victory or martyrdom,” Hamas’ local military wing stated.

Another senior Hamas official claimed that "all Netanyahu’s attempts to dismantle the jihad project will fail, and what is coming will be even worse."

However, Hamas has been severely degraded and lost most of its top commanders and weaponry after more than a year of war against Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who visited Tulkarm, vowed that Israel’s counterterrorism operations would continue.

"These terrorist attacks targeting civilians will not deter us," Katz stated.

The Iranian regime, which backs Hamas, has intensified the efforts to open a new terror front against Israel in Judea and Samaria over the past year. Iran’s involvement has also led to growing tensions between Hamas and its political rival Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

In April 2024, Fatah publicly condemned Iran for backing Hamas and spreading violence across the Judea and Samaria region. While the Iran-sponsored terrorism is directed against Israelis, it is also designed to strengthen Hamas and undermine Fatah’s influence in the area.