Human rights organizations have strongly criticized the shooting of two Palestinian individuals in the occupied West Bank by Israeli security forces. The incident, captured on video, depicted the men seemingly surrendering and unarmed before being fatally shot. United Nations human rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence expressed shock over the incident and called for an independent inquiry into the killings during a news briefing in Geneva.
The two men, Al-Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37, were killed on Thursday and were seen on Palestine TV footage appearing unarmed and surrendering during a raid in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Israeli military and police stated that an investigation was initiated after forces shot towards suspects who had left a building.
Mahmoud Asasa, whose brother Yousef was among those killed, condemned the act, stating that someone surrendering should be arrested, not brutally eliminated. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group claimed one of the men as a commander and the other as a fighter.
According to Israeli authorities, the two men were wanted individuals linked to a “terror network in the area of Jenin.” However, the specific accusations against them and evidence of their alleged association with a terrorist group were not disclosed.
Laurence highlighted the escalating killings of Palestinians by Israeli security forces and settlers in the West Bank, emphasizing the lack of accountability even when investigations are announced. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supported the military and police unit involved in the shooting, stating that terrorists should be eliminated.
The video footage showed the men leaving the building and surrendering before being directed back inside and shot by the forces. Sarit Michaeli from the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem described the incident as chilling and stressed the need for international intervention.
The Foreign Ministry of the Palestinian Authority condemned the shooting as an extrajudicial killing and a war crime. The incident in Jenin is part of a series of attacks in the northern West Bank, with previous incidents involving the killing of Palestinian teenagers during raids.
Since a truce was reached in Gaza, violence has surged in the West Bank, with casualties reported on both sides. The UN documented numerous Palestinian deaths at the hands of Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including children. The UN called for an independent investigation into the killings and urged accountability for those responsible.