Three buses exploded in central Israel on Thursday in what authorities are calling a “suspected terror attack.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly, ordering an “intense military operation” in the West Bank to root out terrorist networks responsible for the attack.
Israeli police confirmed that three explosive devices detonated, while two additional bombs failed to go off.
The buses, located in a parking lot in Bat Yam and Holon, south of Tel Aviv, were not in service at the time, miraculously preventing mass casualties, according to The Time.
However, intelligence suggests the terrorists had intended for the bombs to detonate on Friday when the buses would have been packed with passengers.
Each device was equipped with a timer, and one bore a message in both Hebrew and Arabic: “Revenge from Tulkarem,” a reference to a recent Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, according to the Times of Israel.
The news outlet reported:
Tel Aviv District police chief Haim Sargarof says that five identical explosive devices that either detonated or were disabled this evening had timers and that the attack “looks like something [that originated] in the West Bank.”
He says the bombs appear to be makeshift.
Sargarof tells reporters that police have concluded their searches of buses and trains. He adds that police are still trying to figure out how many suspects were involved in the presumed terror attack.
He adds that a suspect who has been identified in social media posts is, in fact, “an innocent man” who has nothing to do with the incident.
Sargarof dodges questions when asked how it could be that multiple devices were planted on buses without those responsible attracting any suspicion. He says that the IDF is responsible for the West Bank, and the Shin Bet is responsible for preventing terrorism.
Reports have said the devices were intended to detonate tomorrow when the buses were in service.
In response to the attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting with top security officials. He directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to initiate an “intensive operation” targeting terrorist hubs in the West Bank.
Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this directive, instructing the IDF to escalate operations specifically in the Tulkarem refugee camp and other areas within Judea and Samaria.
“Following the attempt to perpetrate a chain of mass bus bombings, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just completed a security assessment with the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the ISA Director and the Israel Police Inspector General,” according to the statement.
“The Prime Minister has ordered the IDF to carry out an intensive operation against centers of terrorism in Judea and Samaria. The Prime Minister also ordered the Israel Police and the ISA to increase preventative activity against additional attacks in Israeli cities.”
The Prime Minister has ordered the IDF to carry out an intensive operation against centers of terrorism in Judea and Samaria. The Prime Minister also ordered the Israel Police and the ISA to increase preventative activity against additional attacks in Israeli cities.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 20, 2025
The Time of Israel reported:
The IDF says it is investigating this evening’s bus bombings in Bat Yam and Holon jointly with the Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police.
Following a fresh assessment, the military says its counterterrorism operation in the West Bank will continue and will be focused on specific areas per the findings of the investigation.
Additionally, the IDF says it has blocked several checkpoints leading into the West Bank in specific areas, and will ramp up activities in the so-called seam zone, the area between the Green Line and Israel’s West Bank barrier.
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