Jenin,West Bank – Israeli border police and soldiers shot and killed two palestinians in Jenin,in the occupied West Bank,on Friday,sparking international calls for investigation. The incident,which appears to show the men being shot after surrendering,has been condemned as a potential “summary execution” by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Israeli army and police stated they were conducting a joint operation to arrest two individuals suspected of “terrorist acts,” including throwing explosives and shooting at security forces. According to the army, shots were fired at the suspects after they exited the building where they were cornered, and the incident is under investigation.
Preliminary findings reported by the left-wing Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a source within the border guards, suggest one of the men killed attempted to stand up from the ground and made a “suspicious movement,” leading police and soldiers to open fire.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right figure, voiced his “full support” for the soldiers and border guards involved, stating, “Terrorists must die!” on his X account.
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas denounced the killings as a “cold-blooded execution.”
Human rights organization B’Tselem described the shooting as the result of “an accelerated process of dehumanization of Palestinians” and called on the international community to hold Israel accountable.
Violence in the West Bank has escalated since the start of the Gaza war, which began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and has continued despite the truce in Gaza since October 10. The Israeli army launched a new operation against Palestinian armed groups in the northern West bank on Wednesday.