Israeli Military Files Charges Against Terror Cell Leader for 2024 Tulkarm Attack Killing Reservist

The Israeli military prosecution filed charges on Monday against Kamal Hatib, the leader of the terrorist group "Nour al-Shams Battalion," for orchestrating the July 2024 attack in Tulkarm that killed IDF reservist Staff Sergeant Yehuda Gato. According to the indictment, on July 1, 2024, Hatib and accomplices remotely detonated an explosive device planted underground targeting an Israeli security forces vehicle in the Bal'a neighborhood. The blast caused the vehicle to overturn, resulting in Gato's death and serious injuries to another individual who was hospitalized.

Hatib is accused not only of carrying out this deadly attack but also of leading and managing the Nour al-Shams Battalion, recruiting operatives for surveillance and bomb-making, planting explosives, trafficking weapons, and transferring funds and military equipment to terrorists. The charges include intentional joint murder, attempted joint murder, heading an illegal organization, arms trafficking, and bomb placement.

The Samaria military court ordered Hatib's detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings. The case highlights ongoing security challenges in the West Bank, with the Shin Bet noting that prison overcrowding undermines the detention of terror suspects. Staff Sergeant Yehuda Gato, aged 22, was among those killed in the attack, underscoring the human cost of the conflict.