Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian men on Thursday who appeared to be unarmed and surrendering during a raid in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to videos circulating on social media and broadcast by multiple television channels.
Footage shows the men emerging from a building surrounded by armed Israeli personnel in Jenin, lifting their shirts and lying on the ground in an apparent surrender. Soldiers then appear to direct the men back inside the building before opening fire at close range. The men collapse moments later, seemingly lifeless.
The Israeli army and police issued a joint statement announcing an investigation into the shooting — an incident the Palestinian Authority condemned as a “war crime” and a “brutal” summary execution. The statement did not explain why the forces opened fire and made no mention of the men’s apparent compliance before they were shot. It said only that the incident was “under review by commanders on the ground” and would be forwarded to “the relevant professional bodies.”
Palestinians and human rights groups argue that such investigations rarely yield accountability, noting that Israeli troops are seldom prosecuted. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the victims as 26-year-old Al-Muntasir Abdullah and 37-year-old Yousef Asasa, adding that their bodies were being withheld by Israeli forces.
In Ramallah, the Palestinian prime minister’s office accused Israel of executing the men “in cold blood,” calling the incident “an outright extrajudicial killing” in violation of international humanitarian law. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry similarly condemned the “brutal field execution,” demanding international action to halt what it described as a pattern of deliberate killings and to establish urgent protection mechanisms.
Hamas also denounced the incident as a “cold-blooded execution.” Jenin Governor Kamal Abu al-Rub echoed the accusation, insisting the men were unarmed, had surrendered, and that those responsible must face justice — though he expressed little confidence in the Israeli investigation process. Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir later issued a statement offering “full backing” to the forces involved.
The killings come amid intensified Israeli operations in the West Bank, where military raids have sharply increased over the past two years. Israel says it is targeting militants, but Palestinians and rights groups accuse Israeli forces of routinely using excessive force and killing unarmed civilians. According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, more than 100 people have been detained since Tuesday in the nearby town of Tubas.
Despite a fragile Gaza cease-fire in effect since last month, violence in the West Bank continues. At the same time, Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian communities have risen. Israeli officials describe the perpetrators as a fringe minority, but Palestinians say such attacks are frequent, often occur near Israeli troops, and rarely lead to arrests or prosecution.
On Thursday, Israel also conducted another round of airstrikes on what it claimed were Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon. Ongoing cross-border attacks have raised concerns that the unrest could spill over and undermine the Gaza truce. The United Nations reported Tuesday that at least 127 civilians, including children, have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the cease-fire took effect last year. Tensions further escalated earlier this week after a rare strike in Beirut killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff.
Elsewhere, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Türkiye on Thursday on his first foreign trip and is scheduled to meet political and religious leaders during a visit set for Sunday.
In a separate development, Palestinian-American teenager Mohammed Ibrahim was released Thursday evening after nine months in Israeli detention and was immediately taken to a hospital. Appearing thin, frail, and still in a gray prison jumpsuit, he was seen wiping away tears as family members embraced him. His father, Zaher Ibrahim, broke down crying as he kissed his son. Ibrahim’s uncle, Zeyad Kadur, said the teen “is skinny and pale, with sunken eyes and signs of scabies.”
The teenager was arrested during a nighttime raid while visiting family in the West Bank, accused of throwing stones at Israeli settlers. In an affidavit, he said he confessed only after interrogators threatened to beat him. His family and lawyers say he endured poor conditions, contracted scabies, and lost significant weight while in detention.
Source: Daily Sabah
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
