Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Palestinian refugee camp of Tulkarm on Friday afternoon.
While in Tulkarm, Netanyahu received a security briefing from Brig.-Gen. Yaki Dolf, Commander of the West Bank Division, Big.-Gen. Hisham Ibrahim, Head of the Civil Administration, and the Commander of the Ephraim Brigade.
"Just before Shabbat begins, I came here to the Tulkarm refugee camp to be with our heroic soldiers," Netanyahu said in a statement. "Over the past year, we have significantly intensified our operations: we are entering terrorist strongholds, leveling entire streets used by terrorists, and eliminating both operatives and commanders. We are carrying out crucial operations to counter Hamas and other terrorist organizations’ attempts to harm us.
לפני זמן קצר בהערכת מצב בטול כרם. עדכון ממני אליכם. שבת שלום. pic.twitter.com/bzzEzN0sxI
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 21, 2025
This threat has not disappeared. What we saw yesterday—the attempt to carry out a series of mass terror attacks—is extremely serious.
In response, following my directive and that of the Defense Minister, we have reinforced our forces in Judea and Samaria. Additionally, I have ordered further operational activity against terrorist hubs.
I know that our brave soldiers will carry out this mission with great skill.”
Bus bombings in central Israel
Several buses exploded in various locations across central Israel on Thursday evening in a planned mass terror bombing attempt. At least three bombs exploded buses in the area of Bat Yam, Israel Police said.
The initial assessment from the security establishment is that the plan for the attack came from Iran, and was carried out by Hamas terrorists from the West Bank. Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) identified Iranian involvement in the West Bank by supplying weapons, training terrorists to carry out attacks, and assembling explosive devices, according to Maariv.
The bombs were set to explode at "around 9 or 10am, but were set incorrectly," according to Maariv, and were composed of non-standard explosive material, including fertilizer and urea.