Israel carries out rare airstrike in West Bank, hits airport in Syria, military says

Israel has carried out a rare airstrike in the West Bank, striking a mosque that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) alleged was used by militants.

“The IDF & ISA just conducted an aerial strike on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist compound in the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin. Recent IDF intel revealed that the Mosque was used as a command center to plan and execute terrorist attacks against civilians,” the IDF posted on X, formerly Twitter. 

The IDF said that its aircraft attacked an underground route underneath the mosque that housed a “terrorist cell” of Hamas. It said the cell was responsible for attacks carried out in recent months and was planning on attacking again soon.

While Israel has often targeted airstrikes in Gaza, it has rarely launched airstrikes on the West Bank. Reuters reported that at least one Palestinian was killed in the attack and three others were injured.

Syrian state media also reported that Israeli airstrikes had targeted the international airports in the capital, Damascus, and the city of Aleppo on Sunday morning, killing at least one person.

Israel entered its 16th day of fighting against Hamas, a militant group that the U.S. and other countries have designated as a terrorist organization, after its members infiltrated the country more than two weeks ago. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, mostly in the first wave of attacks on Oct. 7. 

The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 4,385 Palestinians are dead as a result of the violence with another 13,561 people wounded. People across the world have taken to the streets to protest the loss of civilian life on both sides of the conflict and to call for a ceasefire.