THREE BUSES EXPLODE IN ISRAEL’S BAT YAM IN SUSPECTED ‘TERRORIST’ ATTACK: POLICE

Thu 20 February 2025:

The three explosions took place on empty buses in separate car parks in the city, which lies south of Tel Aviv.

Israeli security suspects Palestinian motives

Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh reporting from Amman, Jordan

There have been three separate explosions in two areas in the Bat Yam area, south of Tel Aviv – an area that is quite densely populated.

The Israeli police says it suspects that there are nationalistic motivations. That means that the Israeli security forces suspect that Palestinian groups are behind these attacks … that these are activities motivated by Palestinian groups attacking an Israeli target because of Israeli occupation practices.

And let’s also remember that Israel has been conducting the largest-scale military offensive in the occupied West Bank since 1967. More than 44,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Tulkarem and Jenin, which are the closest to the area that we are talking about.

The Israeli security forces have been on high alert. These explosions are raising a lot of questions about how this could have happened and whether they are coordinated.

Unexploded suspected devices found in Bat Yam: Report

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority is reporting that two suspected devices have also been found near Bat Yam, and that light rail services have been suspended.

Meanwhile, Israel’s National Federation of Bus Drivers’ Organisations has told bus drivers to stop driving and “conduct a thorough inspection of the buses while displaying maximum vigilance”.

Yedioth Ahronoth has reported that the first two explosions took place 400 metres (1,300 feet) away from each other, while the third occurred in a car park 4km (2.5 miles) away.

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Prime Minister Netanyahu to hold security assessment over explosions

This was announced by his office on social media.

The Israeli prime minister is receiving regular updates from the military on the explosions that took place in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, it said, adding that the meeting will be conducted “shortly”.

More information on the explosions in and near Bat Yam:

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, three explosive devices exploded this evening in three buses parked at different locations in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv.
The first two exploded within minutes of each other, and another exploded about fifteen minutes later.
Suspicious bags and objects were found at nearby locations. Two of these are suspected to be other explosion devices.
According to initial findings, the explosions came from inside the buses, and therefore the suspicion is that they contained explosive devices and that this was an attempted “terrorist attack”.
Forces are searching the remaining buses in the city’s parking lots.

Israel defence minister orders West Bank escalation after bus attacks

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to intensify its operations in the occupied West Bank in response to the attacks on buses in Tel Aviv.

“In light of the serious terrorist attacks that Palestinian terrorist organisations have tried to carry out in the Dan Bloc against the civilian population of Israel, I have instructed the Israel army forces to increase the intensity of activities to thwart terrorism in the Tulkarm refugee camp and in the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria in general,” Katz said, referring to the occupied West Bank.

“We will pursue the terrorists to the end and destroy the terrorist infrastructure in the camps that form the front line of the Iranian axis of evil,” he added. “The people who sponsor and shelter terrorism will pay a heavy price.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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