Three empty buses exploded in Bat Yam, a city on the southern edge of Tel Aviv, in what Israeli police have described as a “suspected terror attack” on Thursday night. The blasts, which occurred in a parking area, caused significant damage but no casualties.
Police revealed that explosive devices had been placed on five buses, but only three detonated. Two others failed to explode, with one carrying a message referring to “revenge” for a recent Israeli military raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. The attack has heightened tensions in the region, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order an “intensive operation against centres of terrorism” in response.
Following the explosions, police urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious objects or bags. Speaking to Israel’s Channel 12 TV, police spokesperson Aryeh Doron suggested that the attackers may have set the timers incorrectly, preventing even greater damage. However, authorities are still investigating the full extent of the attempted attack.
In a separate televised briefing, police commander Haim Sargarof noted that the explosive devices used bore similarities to those previously discovered in the West Bank, where Israeli forces have been conducting frequent raids against militant groups.
Local media reports indicated that one of the unexploded devices, which weighed around 5kg (11lbs), contained a message reading “Revenge from Tulkarm.” This appears to reference a recent Israeli military operation in a refugee camp in the northern West Bank, where Israeli forces have been engaged in intensified operations against Palestinian militant factions.
Shortly after the attack, the Palestinian militant group Tulkarm Brigade released a statement declaring, “Revenge for the martyrs will not be forgotten as long as the occupier sits on our land.” However, the group stopped short of explicitly claiming responsibility for the bus explosions.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been conducting operations against Palestinian militants in the West Bank for months, with particular focus on Tulkarm and Jenin. The escalating violence has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians as Israeli forces ramp up their raids. The latest bus explosions suggest that militant groups may be expanding their operations beyond the West Bank into central Israel.
As investigations continue, security forces remain on high alert, and Netanyahu’s directive for a military crackdown signals a potential escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian factions.
