JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli security forces used a drone strike on a car Wednesday night to eliminate a terror cell, an action which could could indicate a stronger willingness on the part of the government to crack down on the Palestinian terror groups’ increasing use of weapons and explosives against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The growing use of deadly force is likely a response to the murders of four Israeli men, including two teenagers, in the settlement of Eli in Samaria on Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that three Palestinians were killed in the attack, which was conducted in real time as the cell was spotted, leaving no opportunity for the suspects to escape.
“IDF soldiers identified a terrorist cell inside a suspicious vehicle, after the cell carried out a shooting adjacent to the town of Jalamah,” the military said in a statement. “Following the identification of the terrorist cell, an IDF UAV fired toward the cell and thwarted them.”
Early Thursday morning, the IDF also entered the turbulent Arab city of Nablus (biblical Shechem) and destroyed the home of one of the terrorists arrested for killing Israeli Staff Sgt. Ido Baruch, 21, in February. Three Palestinians affiliated with the Lion’s Den terror group were arrested for the killing.
Hundreds of people attended the funerals of the four slain victims in Eli, who were murdered in a hummous restaurant and the adjacent gas station. 17-year-old Elisha Anteman was a waiter at the restaurant. Nachman Mordoff, also 17, died in the attack, along with 21-year-old Harel Masood and 64-year-old Ofer Fayerman.
The Times of Israel quoted Masood’s older brother, Dvir, who gave a heart-rending eulogy: “My brother is dead. How do you even start writing a eulogy? They don’t teach this at school.” He added, “On Saturday, we gave you a nice shirt for a date. It’s okay, you don’t need to give it back; keep it.”
The U.S. State Department condemned the murders. Spokesman Vedant Patel said, “As we noted yesterday, we strongly condemn yesterday’s terrorist attack against Israelis near Eli in the West Bank that killed four individuals. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those killed. There is no justification for terrorism.”
Patel also condemned rioting in Samaria among Israeli youth who torched cars and damaged property in several Palestinian villages.
“There are troubling reports of extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians, including the death of a Palestinian child and other injuries. We likewise condemn these violent acts and also extend our condolences to the families of those affected,” he said.
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