A disturbing video capturing the execution of two unarmed Palestinian men by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin has ignited international outrage and accusations of war crimes. The incident occurred on Thursday in the Abu Dhahir neighborhood, where Al-Muntasir Billah Mahmoud Qassem Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Ali Yousef Asa’sa, 37, were shot dead at point-blank range after surrendering with their hands raised and shirts lifted to demonstrate they posed no threat.
The Israeli military and police, conducting joint operations in the area, acknowledged the shootings and promised an investigation. However, historical patterns indicate such internal military inquiries rarely result in prosecutions. Officers involved, reportedly from the Border Police unit, claimed the men failed to follow instructions by returning to a building against orders, justifying their use of lethal force.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir publicly endorsed the officers’ actions, stating on social media that ‘terrorists must die!’ and that the officers ‘acted exactly as expected of them.’ This stance contrasts sharply with the Palestinian Authority’s condemnation of what they termed ‘brutal field executions’ and a ‘war crime.’ Hamas further characterized the incident as part of a ‘systematic campaign of extermination’ in the West Bank.
The killings occurred during intensified Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank, part of a broader escalation since October 2023. Over the past two years, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians and arrested thousands across the occupied territory, with recent large-scale operations in Jenin and Tulkarm displacing approximately 30,000 people and causing extensive property destruction. Israeli forces have withheld the victims’ bodies following the killings.