Israel killed two Palestinians, total death toll raised to 12 this year

A raid near a flashpoint town in the occupied West Bank resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Ezzedine Bassem Hamamreh, 24, and Amjad Adnan Khaliliyeh, 23, were killed "during an assault on the village of Jaba, south of Jenin".

In a statement, Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the killings, calling Hamamreh and Khaliliyeh "heroic martyrs".

The report said they were killed while trying to intervene against "cowardly assassination operations" by the occupation forces.

A third Palestinian, 19-year-old Yazen Samer Ja'abari, died of injuries after being shot by Israeli forces on January 2. He was wounded during an army raid on Kufr Dan near Jenin, which killed two other Palestinians.

Including three minors, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967, is now 12. There has been an intensified campaign of raids and killings by the Israeli military for almost a year now.

As a result of a string of attacks by Palestinians in Israel, the Israeli army launched a campaign called Break the Wave in March. Nearly daily raids, mass arrests, and killings have taken place in the occupied West Bank, with a particular focus on Jenin and Nablus where the Palestinian armed resistance has gained in strength over the past year.

Israeli forces killed 149 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in 2022, the deadliest year in 16 years for Palestinians. More than 30 children were among those killed. At least 9,000 Palestinians were injured.

During raids, Israeli forces have killed civilians, uninvolved bystanders, as well as Palestinian fighters during targeted assassinations.

A few weeks ago, Israel formed a new government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is seen as the most right-wing government in its 74-year history.

This news has been sourced from Al Jazeera and edited to remove plagiarism. Images have been sourced from Al Jazeera and edited. No copyright violation is intended.