Explosion of Several Buses in Central Israel; Shin Bet: Iran is the Designer of the Attack

Israeli media reported that several buses exploded in different locations in central Israel on Thursday evening, March 2, following a 'coordinated terrorist bombing.' Israeli police announced that at least three buses were blown up at a terminal in the Bat Yam area south of Tel Aviv. There were no casualties from these explosions. According to reports, several other bombs were discovered and defused in various buses. The Jerusalem Post wrote that the initial assessment by Israeli security agencies is that 'the design of this attack was carried out by Iran and executed by West Bank Hamas terrorists.' Hamas is one of the groups supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region. According to the Ma'ariv newspaper, 'Shin Bet has identified Iran's involvement in the West Bank through the supply of weapons, training of terrorists to carry out attacks, and the assembly of explosive devices.' Ma'ariv added that the Islamic Republic of Iran has also delivered large amounts of money to terrorist cells in the West Bank. Israeli security officials immediately ordered the suspension of public transport services after the explosions to examine all vehicles for the possibility of explosives. Initial police investigations indicate that all planted bombs had a similar mechanism and were equipped with timers for detonation on Friday. It is still unclear whether this coordinated operation was carried out by an individual or a group. Following these explosions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a large-scale operation against 'terrorist centers' in the West Bank. In this regard, the Israeli army announced that it has begun extensive investigations in cooperation with the police and the internal security agency (Shin Bet) to identify the perpetrators of this attack. Israel Katz, Israel's Minister of Defense, also ordered an increase in anti-terror operations in various areas of the West Bank and emphasized that the Israeli army would carry out targeted attacks against terrorist groups. Additionally, following these explosions, Israeli fighter jets targeted sites on the Lebanon and Syria border. According to Israeli military officials, these attacks were against the smuggling routes of weapons by Hezbollah, another group supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Benny Gantz, an Israeli politician, called this attack 'a major terrorist act' and emphasized that Israel's response should not be limited to tactical actions but should also target the financial resources and leaders of terrorist groups. Israeli officials have stated that investigations into this incident are ongoing and security forces are on high alert.