Four Palestinians shot and killed in Israeli army raid in Jenin

Clashes broke out as the Israeli army raided Jenin refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank early on Monday (16 August).

Crowds in Jenin at the funeral of two of the Palestinians killed by the Israeli army

Al Jazeera reports. At least four Palestinian men have been shot dead during confrontations with the Israeli army in the Jenin refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank.

Saleh Mohammed Ammar, 19, and Raed Ziad Abu Seif, 21, were shot on Monday and died from their wounds shortly after arriving at the Jenin city hospital, according to a source at the health facility.

“Two citizens arrived at the emergency department, shot by the Israeli army, and died shortly afterwards, succumbing to their injuries,” a source at the hospital was quoted as saying by local media.

The bodies of the two other men, one identified as Noor Jarrar and the other as Amjad Iyad Azmi, were taken by Israeli forces, sources said.

The governor of Jenin confirmed the deaths.

At least two other Palestinians were arrested. One was shot in the hand and the other, identified as Mohammed Abu Zina, was taken from his home during the raid.

Meanwhile, funeral processions began for the slain men in the Jenin refugee camp.

Witnesses said a group of Palestinians engaged in clashes with members from the Israeli police’s Musta’ribeen – an undercover unit made up of Israelis disguised as Palestinians.

The unit’s agents usually embed themselves in Palestinian areas with the intention of arresting people. Maan reported the agents had been in the camp hours before Israeli forces stormed the area.

According to Maan, the Musta’ribeen agents opened fire “directly on a large group of young men” just as Israeli troops raided the camp.

Stun grenades and tear gas were also fired at Palestinians, witnesses said.

The Israeli police said in a statement that soldiers shot at “attackers” after Palestinians opened fire at the army’s “undercover forces”.

None of the Israeli forces was wounded in the incident. They were reportedly on a mission to detain an individual, police said.

Senior Palestinian official Hussein Al Sheikh accused Israel of “a heinous crime” and tweeted “the international community should be ashamed of its silence about this and its failure to provide protection to the Palestinian people from this oppression”.

In recent weeks, there have been numerous clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the northern occupied West Bank, mainly in Jenin and Beita.

Beita sees regular demonstrations against the illegal Israeli occupation and settlement expansion, which often lead to confrontations.

Fighting Israeli forces has claimed the lives of several Palestinians and left hundreds more wounded.