Trendpills
Israeli military forces have killed two Palestinian men during a raid in the city of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, under circumstances that have drawn significant international scrutiny. The incident has intensified concerns over the Israeli army's conduct amid escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of the wider conflict with Hamas.
Contradictory accounts of the event have emerged, centering on video footage that circulated widely online. The video appears to show two men, one of whom is wounded, seeking shelter inside a building. One of the men, seemingly un-armed, is then seen emerging with his hands up, waving a piece of white cloth in an apparent attempt to surrender before being shot and falling to the ground. The second man is shot shortly after as he attempts to retrieve his companion.
The Israeli military has stated its forces were conducting a counter-terrorism operation in Jenin when they were engaged by armed suspects. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), troops returned fire after being shot at from the building where the two men were located. The IDF's official account, which claimed troops were responding to enemy fire, did not directly address the contents of the video showing the surrender attempt but announced it would review the incident. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the deaths and identified the men.
This incident is not the first to raise questions about the IDF's rules of engagement. It echoes a tragic event in December 2023 when Israeli forces mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza who were also trying to signal their surrender. That event sparked widespread anger within Israel and led to an internal IDF investigation. The recurring nature of such events raises questions about IDF rules of engagement and the pressures faced by soldiers on the ground. Human rights organizations have renewed calls for independent and transparent investigations into the actions of Israeli forces in the occupied territories.
