WEST BANK, Palestine (Washington Insider Magazine) – Israeli soldiers raided Jenin in the disputed West Bank, killing 3 Palestinians and injuring ten others, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
In the early hours of Friday, over 30 Israeli armored trucks stormed Jenin and surrounded a vehicle in the al-Marah neighborhood in the city’s east, firing bullets at four individuals inside. According to Al Jazeera, 3 of them were murdered and a fourth was critically injured.
Laith Abu, Suroor (24), Baraa Lahlouh (24) and Yusuf Salah (23) were the men killed, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.
In a brief statement in Hebrew, the Israeli armed forces stated it was launching an operation to retrieve weapons from two distinct places and that it had been shot upon.
Residents in Jenin speculated that the Israelis planned to demolish the residence of Raed Hazem, the Palestinian terrorist who conducted a deadly attack in Tel Aviv on April 7 that murdered 3 Israelis before being shot dead.
In an effort to contain escalating Palestinian armed insurrection in the disputed Jenin camp, the Israeli army has increased operations in and around the area.
There is widespread fear of a large-scale Israeli attack on the camp, which is home to the armed branches of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Fatah factions.
Over 60 Palestinians have been slain by Israeli soldiers this year, according to the Palestinian ministry of health, many of them in raids.
Since March, 19 Israelis have been slain in a series of Palestinian attacks.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a famous Al Jazeera TV journalist, was assassinated by Israeli soldiers in Jenin last month while reporting an Israeli military operation.
According to a Palestinian investigation, the journalist was killed in a war crime while wearing a bullet-proof jacket with the word “press” printed on it and a reporter helmet.
Israel has backed down from its initial suggestion that Abu Akleh was shot by a Palestinian shooter, but it has decided not to pursue a criminal probe.
Image via Reuters
