DRAMATIC footage has captured the moment a pair of Hamas fighters are blown up running for their lives after their boss was wiped out in a firefight.
The Israeli military (IDF) said they took out Wassem Hazem, identified as Hamas‘ commander in the city of Jenin, before blasting away two of his terror teammates in drone strikes.
Hazem was accused of leading shooting and bombing attacks in the West Bank.
He was killed in his car in a shootout, prompting his two pals – named as Maysara Masharqa and Arafat Amer – to flee the vehicle.
IDF aircraft footage shows a car park diagonally across a road in a panic as the Hamas pair jump out and start running.
But they are being tracked from above.
They appear to split up, with vision showing one of the fighters sprinting down the street in desperate search of cover.
But he is blasted away in a huge blow as a cloud of smoke fills the air.
Footage then shows the second Hamas anarchist trying to hide on the edge of a building, seemingly unaware of his impending doom.
He too is blown up instantly.
The IDF said the pair followed Wassem’s orders, taking part in “shooting attacks against Israeli communities”.
Separate on-the-ground footage showed one of them running down the road looking for cover before a huge blast causes a bright red glow.
Israeli troops said the car was full of weapons, explosives and “terrorist funds“.
An IDF statement said: “Wassem Hazem, the head of Hamas in Jenin, was eliminated during a counter-terrorism operation in the northern Samaria area.
“He was identified alongside a terrorist cell in a vehicle in the area.
“Hazem was involved in carrying out and directing shooting and bombing attacks, and continuously advanced terrorist activities in the Judea and Samaria area.
“Shortly afterward, an IDF aircraft eliminated 2 additional Hamas terrorists who attempted to flee from the vehicle that they were inside with Wassem Hazem.
“M16 rifles, a handgun, cartridges, explosives, gas grenades, and thousands of shekels worth of terrorist funds were found in the terrorists’ vehicle and in their possession.”
Israel continues to flex its military muscle in the West Bank, where it says it is trying to root out terrorism.
The operation came amid fears Hamas was attempting to launch attacks from the region, key Israeli figures have said.
The IDF has been targeting Tulkarm and Jenin in the region’s north since Wednesday.
The Palestinian health ministry says 19 Palestinians have so far been killed in the operation.
A Jihadi chief was yesterday killed in a mosque shootout in Tulkarm.
Muhhamad Jabber, also known as Abu Shujaa, was hunted down and shot dead in Tulkarm along with four others, who were all hiding in the place of worship.
He was killed for running the local branch of Islamic Jihad and carrying out multiple terror attacks, including one that killed an Israeli citizen, the IDF said.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres yesterday called the developments “deeply concerning”, fearing innocent civilians could be caught in the crossfire.
He said: “I strongly condemn the loss of lives, including of children, and I call for an immediate cessation of these operations.”
The British Foreign Office on Friday added: “We recognise Israel’s need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.”
Israel has occupied the West Bank since June 1967, when its forces captured the territory from Jordan.
