The IDF on Saturday morning struck a vehicle in which a terror cell was traveling in Nur Shams, near Tulkarem.
According to Arab reports, five people were killed in the strike, including a senior Hamas terrorist and a leader of the Islamic Jihad terror group in Nur Shams. Security sources later said that the cell was planning to carry out a largescale attack in the immediate future, and which included a central Hamas operative from Tulkarem.
An IDF spokesperson said, "Earlier Saturday morning, the IAF, directed by ISA intelligence, struck five terrorists in a vehicle in the area of the town of Qaffin, who were on their way to carry out a terror attack."
The statement added that "the IDF, ISA and Israel Police are currently conducting a counterterrorism activity in the area of Tulkarm."
About an hour after the strike, Arab media published photos of those who were allegedly in the vehicle, and in which the allegedly killed terrorists placed their will.
Later, the IDF reported: "The IDF eliminated a terrorist cell in an aerial strike as part of counterterrorism activity in the area of Tulkarm."
"In a joint IDF, ISA, and Israel Police counterterrorism activity, an additional terrorist cell was eliminated during an encounter with terrorists in Tulkarm. During the encounter, four terrorists were identified shooting at the security forces. With the intelligence direction of the ISA, IDF soldiers directed an IAF aircraft to strike and eliminate the terrorists."