The operations occurred late Friday evening, during the third day of what the Israeli army has termed the largest Israeli military operation in the West Bank since 2002. 

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas, claimed full responsibility on Monday for the operations carried out in the Gush Etzion and Karmei Tzur settlements, near the city of Hebron (Al-Khalil), in the southern West Bank.

The operations occurred late Friday evening, during the third day of what the Israeli army has termed the largest Israeli military operation in the West Bank since 2002. 

The incidents resulted in injuries to three Israeli soldiers, including a commander, and led to the storming of the homes of the two individuals responsible.

On Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the deaths of two young Palestinians, Muhammad Marqa and Zahdi Abu Afif, who were shot by Israeli army gunfire for allegedly carrying out the operation.

Dos atentados (fallidos?) en la zona de Gush Etzion.

1. Un vehículo explotó en una gasolinera en el cruce de Gush Etzion. Los soldados de las FDI que fueron enviados al lugar abrieron fuego y eliminaron al terrorista que salió del vehículo y trató de atacarlos.

2. Terroristas… pic.twitter.com/u6WYugrUcH

— Rodrigo Gonzales (@RodiGonzales007) August 30, 2024

Coordinated Operation

Al-Qassam provided details on the two operations, stating that they were coordinated. 

Marqa reportedly detonated a booby-trapped vehicle at a gas station in the Gush Etzion settlement to lure Israeli soldiers to the site, where he then attacked them with automatic weapons, resulting in casualties, including the injury of Gal Rich, the commander of the Etzion Brigade.

Simultaneously, Zuhdi Nidal Abu Afifa allegedly infiltrated the Karmi Tzur settlement by running over its guard and then opened fire on a group of illegal Jewish settlers before detonating his vehicle inside the settlement.

In a statement, Al-Qassam announced that this was the first martyrdom operation in the Hebron Governorate and reiterated its previous warnings that all governorates of the West Bank would continue to harbor significant and painful surprises for the Israeli forces. 

🚨 Sirens are ringing in "Karmei Tzur" near #AlKhalil due to fears of infiltration by resistance fighters, moments after a large explosion was reported at a gas station in nearby "Gush Etzion."

The explosion resulted in injuries, and there are reports of gunfire in the area. pic.twitter.com/rDnm3behjU

— The Observer Resistances🔻 (@TO_Resistances1) August 31, 2024

The Brigades also referenced another recent attack, the Tarqumiya operation, carried out by the martyred Muhannad Mahmoud Al-Aswad.

“As Al-Qassam Brigades reveal their first martyrdom operations in Al-Khalil Governorate, they reaffirm what they have previously stated: that all governorates of the West Bank, without exception, will continue to harbor more painful and major surprises for the treacherous occupier,” the group said in a statement. 

Al-Qassam also reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to support “the heroes of our people in the West Bank” by providing them with equipment and information.

(The Palestine Chronicle)