IDF Strikes Explosives-laden Vehicle in Jenin, Thwarts Suspected Car-ramming Attack

Friday, 14 February 2025 | The IDF said Thursday it struck a vehicle packed with explosives in the eastern sector of Jenin, in the northern West Bank [Judea and Samaria], as part of its ongoing counterterrorism operation.

According to the IDF, the car was intended to detonate near troops operating in the area. Soldiers isolated the site and detonated the vehicle using a grenade, triggering secondary explosions that confirmed the presence of explosives inside.

Shortly after, a suspected car-ramming attack was thwarted near an IDF headquarters in the northern West Bank. The military said a Palestinian suspect drove a stolen vehicle into the base's gate before exiting the car and approaching soldiers on guard. Troops responded by opening fire.

The strikes and clashes occurred as the IDF entered the 24th day of its operation targeting terror networks in and around Jenin and Tulkarm. Troops have been conducting house-to-house searches, often based on Shin Bet [Israeli internal security organization] intelligence, in an effort to disrupt organized terrorist activity in refugee camps.

Much of the fighting involves hit-and-run tactics, as terrorists avoid direct confrontation with Israeli forces. On Wednesday, a soldier was wounded in an exchange of fire in the Nur Shams refugee camp, and his comrades from the elite Maglan unit killed a terrorist in the ensuing battle.

Since the start of the operation, the IDF has killed approximately 60 terrorists, arrested over 200 terror suspects, conducted 15 airstrikes and used heavy machinery to demolish buildings and roads where explosives were planted, the military said.