Written by Michael Thervil
It was reported today that 1 of three buses that were parked roughly 500 meters apart in a parking lot in bat yam which is south of Tel Aviv. Although there were no injuries reported, it is speculated that geopolitical analysis can be considered nothing but warning to Israel. According to Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, it was a failed coordinated terrorist attack. To others, it was a revenge attack. The construction of the bomb is akin to those used in the West Bank of Palestine. Exactly who is directly behind the attack is currently unknown. At the scene of the bombing, a written note was found with the inscription: “Revenge Against the Tulkarm Camp”.
Could Hamas or Hezbollah be behind the bombings? There are some people that suspect that one or both of the organizations may be behind today's bombing. But there is one Telegram channel that is identifying itself as a Hamas representative channel known as the “Qassam Brigade” which is located in the northern West Bank city of Tulkare. They espoused the following statement:
“The revenge of the martyrs will not be forgotten so long as the occupier is present on our land… this is a jihad of either victory or martyrdom.”
Whether or not this is a true channel that represents Hamas or not is unknown. However, the two things that are known is that this Telegram channel did not claim responsibility for the attack and that the bus that was destroyed in the bomb blast was parked in the lot right after the driver finished driving their route according to mayor Tzvika Brot, who governs bat yam. But the city of bat yam was not the only Israeli city that was rocked by today's bus bombing; so was the Israeli city of holon.
Each of the 3 bombs which were classified as IED’s (improvised explosive devices) that were on each of the buses contained 5kg or 11lbs of explosives and may have been outfitted with a timer according to Israeli authorities. Looking at Israeli official reports, it's being speculated that the IED’s were most likely programmed to detonate in the morning while the buses would have been in heavy use by Israeli citizens. Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallan stated:
“We will hunt down the terrorists to the bitter end and destroy the terror infrastructure in the camps used as front line posts of the Iranian evil axis,” Katz added. “Residents who give shelter to terror will pay a heavy price.”
Today bus bombing has ignited Israel's counterterrorism response along several designated checkpoints in the West Bank known as the “Green Line” and “seam zZne”. Although the situation is still unfolding and fluid in Israel at the moment; it's safe to say that the fight against Israel is still going on strong in the region and it doesn't show any signs of either slowing down or going away anytime soon.
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