Hamas slams “cold-blooded execution” of two Palestinians in Jenin

Hamas issued a statement condemning the "cold-blooded execution" of two unarmed Palestinians in Jenin by ‘Israeli’ forces, despite their having exited the building without posing any threat.

The movement asserted that the act "reveals anew the criminal mentality that governs the occupation's behavior" and its "complete disregard for Palestinian blood outside all humanitarian laws and norms."

Systemic Annihilation and Settlement Goals

Hamas mourned the “two martyrs of Jenin” and all the martyrs of the Palestinian people, stressing that this crime is not an isolated incident.

Rather, it is a "new link in a path of annihilation and systematic liquidation" adopted by the occupation.

The Execution in Jenin

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) said Thursday it is reviewing what it called an “incident” where two Palestinians were executed in Jenin by ‘Israeli’ border police officers, despite the fact they had surrendered and came out raising their hands, according to video footage.

“The forces entered the area, encircled a structure in which the suspects were located, and initiated a surrender procedure that lasted several hours,” the military and police say, adding that after using heavy machinery on the structure, the two suspects exited.

“After they exited the building, shots were fired at the wanted persons,” the statement says.

The IOF and police say that the “incident is under review by the commanders on the ground, and will be transferred to the relevant authorities for examination.”

The Palestinian Authority’s General Authority for Civil Affairs identifies the two men seen in the footage as 26-year-old Mahmoud Qassem Abdallah and 37-year-old Youssef Asasa.

It added that their bodies were detained by ‘Israeli’ security forces.

West Bank Escalations

The killings occur amidst an escalation of ‘Israeli’ military operations across cities and refugee camps in the West Bank.

Palestinian reports confirmed that the incident took place after the location of the two Palestinians was subjected to an intense siege.

Palestinian sources indicated that the execution was carried out in a warehouse in the Jabal Abi Dhahir area of Jenin, a warehouse that occupation forces had completely surrounded.

Indirect Admission of Engagement Rule Violations

The army's announcement of an investigation into the incident, and its acknowledgment that the Palestinians had surrendered before the shooting, is considered an indirect admission of a breach of rules of engagement and a violation of international humanitarian law.

Ben-Gvir

‘Israel's’ far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said he "fully supports" the ‘Israeli’ soldiers seen in the video.

"I fully support the Border Guard members and Israeli army soldiers who shot at wanted terrorists who emerged from a building in Jenin. The forces acted exactly as expected of them -- terrorists must die!" Ben Gvir wrote on X.