### Israeli Air Strike Targets Hamas Commander in Tulkarm

The Israel Air Force (IAF) conducted an airstrike in Tulkarm, located in the West Bank, as part of a coordinated effort between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) to counter Hamas activities in the region. The operation aimed to neutralize Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who led the Hamas network in Tulkarm.

Initial reports had indicated that the target of the strike was Ayyth Radwan, the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Tulkarm Battalion. However, while Radwan is still reported as killed, the IDF has confirmed that Oufi and several other terrorists were indeed eliminated in the strike.

The Palestinian health ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent stated that the airstrike resulted in at least 20 Palestinian casualties. The targeted site was a café situated in the Al-Hamam neighborhood in the eastern part of Tulkarm.

In response to the airstrike, Fatah officials declared a general strike in Tulkarm on Friday as a form of protest. The IDF further disclosed that Oufi was responsible for orchestrating and supplying weaponry for a number of terrorist activities, including a thwarted car-bombing attempt in Ateret last September. He was reportedly planning another imminent terror attack, prompting the urgent operation.

Earlier in September, IDF forces had already been active in Tulkarm, working to dismantle armed groups within the city.