Israel blames Palestinian militants for bus bombings in Tel Aviv suburb

No casualties have been reported. While three buses were destroyed in Bat Yam, a suburb of Tel Aviv, a bomb planted in a fourth one was defused on Thursday night, reports said.

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5 bombs planted, three exploded

“Explosives were found on two other buses but did not detonate,” police spokesman Asi Aharoni told Channel 13 TV. Israeli police said the five bombs were identical and equipped with timers and said bomb squads were defusing the unexploded bombs.

The explosions happened on a day when Israel was already grieving after Hamas returned the bodies of four hostages from Gaza as part of a ceasefire deal.

Investigators in white coveralls searched for evidence inside the burned-out metal shells of the buses, which blew up in a parking lot in Bat Yam.

The head of the bus company said they immediately ordered all bus drivers to stop and conduct a "thorough inspection". They resumed their routes once they were found to be safe, Ofir Karni said.

‘Failed bomb attack’

Videos of the bombings in the Bat Yam area showed buses going up in flames.

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Reports in local media have called it a failed bomb attack. The reports say that the bombs were likely timed to explore at the rush hour on Friday (February 21) morning and seemed to have prematurely detonated at around 9 pm (local time).

The city's mayor, Tzvika Brot, said it was a miracle no one was hurt. The buses had been parked after finishing their routes, he said.

Israel blames Palestinian militants

Accusing militants from West Bank to have perpetrated the attack, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the Israel Defence Forces to ramp up operations in the Palestinian refugee camps, especially the ones in Tulkarem.

“I have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to increase the intensity of activity to thwart terrorism in the Tulkarem refugee camp and in general in the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria,” Katz said.

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The bus explosions were reminiscent of bombings during the Palestinian uprising of the 2000s, but such attacks are now rare.

West Bank’s suspected hands

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he was receiving updates from his military secretary and following the events. The Shin Bet internal security agency was taking over the investigation, police said.

"We need to determine if a single suspect placed explosives on a number of buses, or if there were multiple suspects," police spokesman Haim Sargrof told Israeli TV.

Sargrof said the explosives used Thursday matched explosives used in the West Bank, but he declined to elaborate.

Israel's military has repeatedly carried out raids on suspected Palestinian militants in the West Bank since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack sparked the devastating war in Gaza. As part of that crackdown, Israel has greatly restricted entry into Israel for Palestinians from the occupied territory.

Past attacks

A group identifying itself as a branch of Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, from the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, posted on the messaging app Telegram: "We will never forget to take vengeance for our martyrs as long as the occupation is on our lands." The group did not claim responsibility for the attack.

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Tulkarem and two refugee camps in the city have been a focus of Israel's broad military offensive in the West Bank, since the ceasefire in Gaza took effect on January 19. In the past, militants have entered Israel and carried out shootings and bombings in Israeli cities.

Brot, the mayor of Bat Yam, urged residents to stick with their routines but also stay vigilant, telling Channel 13 TV that schools will be open Friday and public transport will be operating.