An Israeli airstrike in the northern West Bank killed three people on Friday, August 28, 2026, according to Palestinian health officials and militant groups.
Israel’s military identified the target as Qais Bitawi, a Hamas member accused of coordinating attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces and maintaining links with Hamas operatives in Gaza and abroad. Hamas and the allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed Bitawi’s death. The strike occurred in Jenin, a region where Israeli forces have conducted repeated operations in recent years.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that Israeli ground troops arrived at the scene shortly after the strike, detained paramedics, and blocked the evacuation of the wounded and deceased. The organization stated that the interference delayed medical response efforts.
Separate Israeli strikes in Gaza on the same day killed at least five Palestinians, according to health authorities. Three members of the same family were killed in an attack near Deir Al-Balah. An additional strike on a motorcycle in Gaza City resulted in one fatality, while another attack in the same city killed another Palestinian.
The operations in the northern West Bank in 2025 displaced thousands of Palestinians as Israeli forces conducted raids and cleared refugee camps, according to reports. Human Rights Watch previously accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to forced expulsions, a claim denied by Israeli authorities.
