Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank Raid
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli troops fatally shot two Palestinians on Tuesday morning during a raid on the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Qusai al-Walaji, 16, and Mohammed Najum al-Omar, 25, were both hit by live bullets as Israeli forces conducted a forceful operation, storming residences and detaining camp residents, the Middle East Eye reported.
The victims were rushed to Jericho Government Hospital, where they were declared dead shortly after arrival, as confirmed by the hospital's director who stated, "Two young men were rushed to the hospital with bullets in their chests," as reported by Reuters.
Armed confrontations emerged between camp inhabitants and Israeli forces during the raid, although it remained unclear if the two men were directly involved, as per residents' accounts provided to Reuters.
A 20-year-old Palestinian was apprehended by Israeli forces during the operation, as reported by the Palestinian Prisoners' Society in Jericho.
Aqbat Jabr, housing approximately 30,000 residents, holds the distinction of being the largest refugee camp in the occupied West Bank in terms of land area. Established in 1948, the camp was set up to accommodate Palestinians who were displaced during the Nakba, when 750,000 individuals were uprooted to make way for the creation of Israel.
Despite being situated in Jericho, a city that tends to experience less Israeli violence compared to other West Bank regions, Aqbat Jabr has become a recurrent target for Israeli military operations. In February, a "15-minute raid" resulted in the death of five members of the Aqbat Jabr Brigade resistance group. Since then, four more Palestinians, including minors, have been killed by Israeli security forces in the camp.
This year's death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the camp has reached 11, according to Tuesday's raid. In 2023, the Middle East Eye has documented at least 212 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire, including 37 children, which translates to almost one fatality per day.
The occupied Palestinian territories have witnessed a grim toll this year, with a total of 176 deaths in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds, marking one of the deadliest periods. An additional 36 individuals have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip.
