• 3 Tel Aviv Explosions: Bombs planted on three parked buses exploded prematurely on February 20 in an overnight depot in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv. The lot was vacant at the time, and there were no casualties. Police found two unexploded bombs aboard other buses as well as a bag suspected of concealing an additional explosive device. Had the bombs exploded as intended a few hours later, during rush hour on the morning of February 21, they could have caused hundreds of casualties in metropolitan Tel Aviv, according to Israel’s Channel 12 news.
• Home-Made Devices With Timers: Israeli police said the bombs were home-made with timer-rigged detonators, recalling devices previously used by Palestinian terrorist groups. Unconfirmed reports from Israeli media said one of the explosives found had the words “Revenge from Tulkarem” — a reference to the northern West Bank town where the IDF has been carrying out operations against Iran-backed armed groups — written on it.
• Netanyahu Convenes Security Chiefs, Defense Minister Reacts: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he would convene a late-night meeting of his security chiefs to discuss the threat. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the IDF to increase the intensity of its ongoing counterterrorism operations in the West Bank following the attempted attacks.
“There is little comfort in the fact that sheer luck spared Israel from another massacre. This was a brazen attempt at a coordinated mass-casualty attack — proof of both the ruthlessness and the tactical sophistication of Palestinian terrorists. It also retroactively justifies the IDF’s recent surge in missions targeting West Bank bomb factories, some alarmingly close to Tel Aviv.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO
“As the first phase of the Gaza truce winds down and efforts for a second-phase deal remain uncertain, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and their Iranian backers are ramping up terror operations from the West Bank, aiming to open a new front. This narrowly averted attack may be just the beginning.” — Seth Frantzman, Adjunct Fellow
“Israeli law enforcement stated that the bombs may have originated in the West Bank. This revelation should not be a surprise given that warning signs of rising terrorism in the West Bank have been evident for nearly four years. While the identities of those responsible for the blasts remain unknown, the scale of the attempted terrorist attack indicates that it was orchestrated and executed by a well-established, organized group.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal
“More Than 1,000 Terror Attacks in West Bank and Jerusalem Thwarted in 2024,” FDD Flash Brief
“Israel Captures Hamas Terrorist Wanted for Murder in West Bank Operation,” FDD Flash Brief