The Israeli army shot two unarmed Palestinian men at point-blank range this Thursday in Jenin, in the northern West Bank. The execution, which was recorded by cameras present in the area and unrelated to the authorities, has subsequently been broadcast by Arab media and social networks. Shortly after, a statement from the Israeli troops described the two victims as “individuals affiliated with terror networks” and reported that the events were being investigated.
The images, published by the Egyptian channel Alreid, show two individuals leaving a warehouse with the blinds half lowered, showing their empty hands raised. A group of Israeli soldiers deployed at the site, protected by armored vehicles a few meters away, seem to tell them to retreat and go to the ground. Immediately, at least one soldier is seen raising his rifle and opening fire on the Palestinians due to the inaction of the rest of the soldiers. Then, an Israeli crane breaks the metal blind and drops it on the bodies.
The Ministry of Health of the Palestinian National Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, has indicated that those executed are Bilal Mahmoud Qasem Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Ali Yousef Asaasa, 37. It has also reported that Israeli troops have taken the two bodies.
The Israeli army has framed this action in an operation in Jenin “to arrest wanted individuals” who, according to Israel, “have committed terrorist activities, including launching explosives and shooting at security forces.” According to a military statement, Israeli forces have captured the men after carrying out “a surrender process” that has lasted for “several hours.” “Once they left,” the note indicates, “fire was opened on the suspects.”
The statement ensures that “the incident” is being reviewed by “commanders on the ground,” adding that the result of the investigations will later be transferred to “the relevant authorities.” The Israeli army frequently announces internal investigations in response to the outbreak of controversial cases, but they almost never lead to a formal accusation before being shelved. Since the start of the war in Gaza, Israel has closed or left unsolved 88% of cases involving possible crimes committed during the Gaza offensive, according to the London-based research group Acled.
The action in Jenin that led to the double execution appears to be part of the operation that Israel is carrying out for the second consecutive day in the northern West Bank. On Wednesday, the army announced a “comprehensive anti-terrorist operation” in conjunction with the Israeli intelligence services and the Border Police. The offensive, he explained, aims to “act proactively” to prevent “terrorism from taking root” in the area.
At the outset, Israel stated that the operation would focus on the Tubas Governorate, somewhat further south of Jenin. On Wednesday, the troops imposed a curfew in the area, which they still maintain, and cut off access to the Governorate, restricting the movement of the entire population of the territory and isolating it from the rest of the West Bank. However, the offensive has extended this Thursday towards the Jenin refugee camp, which, like those in Tulkarem and Nablus, is a regular target of the operations that Israel has been launching in recent months in the name of the fight against armed groups with a presence in the area.
Israeli troops say they have carried out raids on 220 sites in 24 hours, in operations that have included “the interrogation of dozens of people, the arrest of several” and the discovery of weapons, according to military statements.
Israeli soldiers deployed in Jenin have also shot and wounded two minors under 14 years of age with live ammunition, according to Palestinian news agencies.
In Tubas, Israeli forces have detained 162 Palestinians since Wednesday, says Kamal Bani Odeh, director of the Palestinian Prisoners Society. These arrests have been made during raids on homes. Dozens of those arrested were released within a few hours, Bani Odeh reported. At least 25 people have been injured during military raids on local communities, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
One of the most violent periods
The West Bank is one of three Palestinian territories occupied by Israel along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Since the outbreak of war in the enclave, in October 2023, this area has recorded one of the most violent periods since records have been recorded at the hands of Israeli soldiers and settlers. In this period, more than 1,000 Palestinians have died due to Israeli fire actions, mainly carried out by soldiers.
A good part of these deaths have been caused during the successive operations that Israel has been carrying out since January in the refugee camps in the northern half of the West Bank, and which have since kept more than 30,000 residents displaced while Israel gradually destroys the interior of those cities.
Roland Friedrich, director of operations of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), denounced this Thursday that Israel is promoting the devastation of these places, “turning them into ghost cities,” and has pointed out that “systematic destruction goes against the basic principles of international law.”
This Friday, Israel plans to carry out the total or partial demolition of 29 more buildings in Jenin, where the Israeli authorities, according to UNRWA, have already issued detonation orders on more than 200 buildings this year.
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