Three buses exploded in parking lots in the Tel Aviv area on Thursday night, raising concerns of a coordinated terrorist attack and prompting Israeli authorities to suspend all bus and train services nationwide. No injuries were reported.
Following the explosions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that he had ordered the military to conduct a "massive operation" in the West Bank targeting militant strongholds and had directed police and intelligence agencies to enhance preventive measures in Israeli cities to thwart potential subsequent attacks.
The explosions occurred at different depots in Bat Yam, a city located south of Tel Aviv, according to Mayor Tzvika Brot. Unexploded bombs were also discovered in parking lots in the nearby city of Holon, the mayor noted.
Mayor Brot stated that additional security patrols had been ordered throughout Bat Yam, emphasizing that the city would remain on high alert over the weekend. However, he confirmed that the city's routine activities, including school, would continue as normal.
Ofir Karni, director of the Dan bus company, reported that the last passenger on one of the exploded buses had alerted the driver to a suspicious bag left on a back seat. They returned to the depot and exited the bus just before it exploded.
The bombings occurred during a particularly challenging day for Israelis, coinciding with the repatriation of four coffins believed to contain the remains of hostages captured in the October 7 Hamas-led attack. The Israeli military clarified that only three of the bodies belonged to the hostages intended for handover, while one unidentifiable body was described as a "violation of utmost severity" of cease-fire terms.
The attempted bus attacks, which have not been claimed by any group, could potentially hinder ongoing negotiations for the next phase of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Since January, Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank have been intensified, reportedly aiming to eliminate Hamas and other militant groups. These operations have displaced approximately 40,000 Palestinians, marking the largest civilian displacement in the territory since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, as noted by historians and researchers.
The military's actions have involved the demolition of houses and road destruction, purportedly to find improvised explosive devices, resulting in numerous Palestinian casualties, according to both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
In light of the attempted attacks, Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the military to escalate operations in West Bank refugee camps, declaring a commitment to pursue terrorists and dismantle their infrastructure.
A West Bank branch of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, issued a statement that seemed to commend the explosions without explicitly claiming responsibility.
In response to the incidents in Bat Yam, the Israeli military confirmed that it was collaborating with intelligence and police to investigate, while continuing "intensified antiterror activity" in the West Bank and restricting access to certain areas as necessary.
Bus and train services in Israel will remain suspended until authorities provide clearance for their resumption, according to a statement from the transportation ministry.