Palestinian Authority Condemns Israel’s ‘War Crime’ After West Bank ‘Execution’

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has accused Israeli forces of committing a deliberate “war crime” after two Palestinian men were fatally shot in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, on Thursday. Ramallah’s foreign ministry condemned the “brutal field execution” of the youths, asserting the killings occurred after they had surrendered to Israeli troops.

The PA identified the deceased men as Al-Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37, both killed during a major counter-terrorism operation in the occupied West Bank city. Consequently, the shooting intensified tensions throughout the area, drawing immediate and harsh international scrutiny towards the Israeli military’s conduct during the ongoing raids.

Evidence Fuels International Accusations

Videos circulating online show the critical moments leading up to the fatal incident. Specifically, the footage captured the two Palestinian suspects exiting an encircled building with their hands raised clearly above their heads. Furthermore, the men lifted their shirts to show the Border Police officers they didn’t carry weapons, demonstrating a clear attempt to surrender themselves to the surrounding troops.

However, the troops then ordered them back toward the building’s entrance, and then gunshots rang out immediately as the suspects collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Jenin Governor Kamal Abu al-Rub accused Israeli forces of executing two unarmed young men who had surrendered in cold blood.

Conflicting Accounts and Political Support

Conversely, Israeli security officials offered a conflicting account of the tragic sequence of events captured in the video footage. The Israeli military and national police issued a joint statement announcing that they wanted the suspects for earlier bombing and shooting attacks against Israeli troops..

Moreover, the Border Police officers involved claimed the suspects failed to follow instructions during the critical security procedures, which led directly to the subsequent shooting. The officers specifically asserted that one suspect attempted to retreat back into the building against clear military orders, with the second following him, prompting the immediate use of live fire.

While the military and police said they launched a commander-level review into the incident, the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly offered full backing to the troops involved. Ben-Gvir wrote explicitly that the fighters “acted exactly as expected of them,” adding the contentious declaration that “terrorists should die.”