Israel: Three buses explode in ‘suspected terror attack’ — Police

Three empty buses exploded in the city of Bat Yam, on the southern edge of Tel Aviv, in what Israeli police have described as a “suspected terror attack” on Thursday night. 

There were no casualties, but two other explosive devices failed to detonate.

According to local media, one of the undetonated devices carried a message referencing “revenge” for a recent Israeli military raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. 

The explosions prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order the military to conduct “an intensive operation against centres of terrorism” in the West Bank.

Footage circulating on social media showed at least one bus engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing into the night sky. 

Speaking shortly after the incident, police spokesperson Aryeh Doron urged the public to remain vigilant and report “every suspected bag or object.” 

He noted that authorities were still investigating whether the explosions were mistimed, saying, “We may be lucky if indeed the terrorists set these timers to the wrong hour. But it’s too early to determine.”

Police commander, Haim Sargarof told reporters the devices used in the blasts resembled those previously found in the West Bank, where Israeli forces have been conducting operations against militants for months. 

Reports indicate that one of the unexploded mechanisms, weighing 5kg (11lbs), carried a message reading, “Revenge from Tulkarm,” in an apparent reference to an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in northern West Bank.

Following the explosions, the Palestinian militant group Tulkarm Brigade issued a statement saying, “Revenge for the martyrs will not be forgotten as long as the occupier sits on our land,” according to Israeli news site Haaretz. However, the group did not claim responsibility for the attack.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been conducting intensified raids in the West Bank, particularly in Tulkarm and Jenin, targeting Palestinian militant groups. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed as a result of these operations.