logo
Palestinian Authority forces in occupied West Bank kill two men in 'cold blood'

Palestinian Authority forces in occupied West Bank kill two men in 'cold blood'

Middle East Eye14-05-2025

Palestinian Authority (PA) forces have killed two people and injured a child in Tubas and Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
Witnesses said officers in civilian clothing shot Palestinian Rami Zahran in the head on Tuesday while he was in his car inside the Fara refugee camp near Tubas in the northern West Bank.
Those present at the time of the killing told Middle East Eye that there were no clashes ongoing at the time of Zahran's death and that he was killed extrajudicially.
The victim's family said they would not hold a funeral for their relative until those responsible for his death were brought to account.
They also called on human rights organisations for help in upholding justice and making sure that the law was implemented.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
In a statement, the Zahran family said they were holding a three-day mourning period inside the Fara camp.
'The governor and any representative of the PA security services is not welcome inside the camp.
'Our son was killed in cold blood under the pretext that he was wanted by Palestinian security forces."
An hour after the killing of Zahran, gunfire was heard directed towards the PA's headquarters in Tubas.
Shortly after the killing in Tubas, 63-year-old Faisal Sabaneh was similarly shot in the head while inside his car in an eastern neighbourhood of Jenin.
In an interview with Middle East Eye, a resistance fighter from Jenin camp in the occupied West Bank reflected on the recent raids by Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces, stating that they are 'not different at all from Israeli raids.' pic.twitter.com/Sj7SbiM5FQ — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) December 25, 2024
A young girl nearby was wounded by shrapnel resulting from the shooting.
One witness, who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns for their safety, said PA forces in military uniform rammed Sabaneh's vehicle on al-Madaris street before exiting their cars and approaching Sabaneh.
They opened Sabaneh's car door to verify his identity and fired on him at point-blank range.
The witness said the PA forces seemed surprised that they had encountered an elderly man inside the vehicle, as opposed to someone younger, but fired on him nonetheless.
Shortly afterwards, the PA surrounded a house nearby in the same neighbourhood, deploying snipers and engaging in clashes with local Palestinian resistance fighters.
'Palestinian Authority vehicles are present in the eastern neighborhood despite the ongoing Israeli military operation and the presence of Israeli army vehicles in the area,' the witness added.
Condemnation
The Palestinian movement Hamas condemned the killings of the men and accused the PA of 'unpatriotic practices'.
It further accused the PA of 'indifference and blatant persistence in shedding Palestinian blood'.
'We call for an immediate and fair investigation into all violations and crimes committed by the Palestinian Authority's security forces in the West Bank, and for the urgent holding to account of all those involved in these crimes,' the group said in its statement.
PA's killing of resistance fighter amid army raid signals its open coordination with Israel Read More »
The killing of Palestinians by the PA is becoming increasingly frequent and coincides with an ongoing Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, which has mainly focused on the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm.
PA forces killed nine Palestinians in a campaign named 'Homeland Protection' in the Jenin refugee camp in December and January, including a child and a journalist.
Dozens of arrests have also been made of those the PA calls 'outlaws' - a term used for fighters wanted by Israel.
The Lawyers for Justice group has condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians by the PA.
In a statement, the group said it was astonished by the justifications offered for the shootings.
It said the deaths of 17 Palestinians at the hands of the PA since late 2023, as well as the killing of six members of the PA security forces, were evidence of the 'absence of the rule of law and the spread of chaos and insecurity'.
The killings are 'considered a persistent violation of the right to life guaranteed by all laws and human rights constitutions,' the group said, adding that those responsible for crimes must be held to account in accordance with Palestinian law.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Who are the activists on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla intercepted by Israel?
Who are the activists on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla intercepted by Israel?

The National

time23 minutes ago

  • The National

Who are the activists on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla intercepted by Israel?

Israel has intercepted the Gaza Freedom Flotilla attempting to deliver aid to the war-ravaged enclave, detaining the 12 activists onboard and taking them to Israel. All eyes have been on the vessel, called Madleen, since it departed Catania, Sicily, on June 1. The crew publicised their journey with online trackers and called on their governments to protect them in the event that Israel intercepted them. The yacht carried a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. But who was on board? Greta Thunberg Best known as the face of a youth movement demanding action on climate change, the Swedish activist, 22, has frequently spoken up about the war in Gaza – at times dividing her climate movement. She said before the Madleen departed from Italy that "it falls on us to be the adults in the room … we have to keep our promise to the Palestinians to do everything in our power to protest the genocide". Rima Hassan A French member of the European Parliament representing the Green Party. She is of Palestinian descent and has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli actions towards Palestinians. Yasemin Acar A German activist, she has been an advocate for refugees and human rights since the age of 15. She described resistance as being a "way of life", having been born to Kurdish parents from Turkey. Baptiste Andre A French activist and doctor is among the crew onboard the Gaza aid flotilla. In a video posted on the flotilla's website, he calls on his friends and family to put pressure on Paris to secure his release. A Dutch activist is also a member of the flotilla. In a video posted online, he has also called for his country's government to push for his release "and that of all other peaceful activists". Omar Faiad A French journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher. A video posted on social media shows Faiad onboard the vessel with his hands up, after it is intercepted by the Israeli military. Pascal Maurieras He is an experienced Freedom Flotilla crew member, having taken part in a voyage in 2018. The French activist and sailor was detained and interrogated by Israel at that time as well. A French activist who has been involved in various humanitarian causes throughout the years. Sergio Toribio The activist from Spain is a member of the Spanish Boat to Gaza the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been vocal about his support for Palestinians in Gaza. Suayb Ordu A Turkish activist who has been involved in volunteer projects and advocacy for Palestine for years. "If any harm comes to me, if they kill me, and they cannot prove it with visual evidence, let it be known that I took no action," he said in a video on Instagram. Thiago Avila The Brazilian activist is the co-ordinator of Freedom Flotilla Brazil and the father of a six-month-old daughter. Yanis Mhamdi A French journalist and film director at the Blast platform. He previously worked in the occupied West Bank to make a film about settlers.

Israel blocks arrival of activist ship carrying Thunberg in Gaza
Israel blocks arrival of activist ship carrying Thunberg in Gaza

Al Etihad

timean hour ago

  • Al Etihad

Israel blocks arrival of activist ship carrying Thunberg in Gaza

9 June 2025 09:05 Tel Aviv (dpa) Israel blocked a sailing ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from entering the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Foreign Ministry said the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's (FFC) ship Madleen was "safely making its way to the shores." "The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry said in a post on a later post it added that "all the passengers are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water."In a statement, the FFC said the Madleen had "been attacked/forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military" in international waters. "The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo - including baby formula, food and medical supplies - confiscated," the FFC said in a of the ship's arrival, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had ordered the armed forces to prevent the arrival of the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily a week Thunberg and the 11 other activists on board, Katz said: "You should turn back because you will not reach Gaza." The FFC has said it wanted to bring relief supplies to the desperate people in the devastated Gaza Strip, and has repeatedly emphasized that there are no weapons on board.

Hamas military chief Sinwar's body found in tunnel under Gaza hospital
Hamas military chief Sinwar's body found in tunnel under Gaza hospital

Khaleej Times

time2 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Hamas military chief Sinwar's body found in tunnel under Gaza hospital

The Israeli army said on Sunday it had retrieved the body of Hamas' military chief Mohammed Sinwar in an underground tunnel beneath a hospital in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation last month. Another senior Hamas leader, Mohammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, was also found dead at the scene along with a number of other militants, who are still being identified, said IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin. Israeli forces gave a small group of foreign reporters a tour of the tunnel that had been uncovered beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, which Defrin said was a major command and control compound for Hamas. "This is another example of the cynical use by Hamas, using civilians as human shields, using civilian infrastructure, hospitals, again and again," said Defrin. "We found underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room, a compound of a few rooms. In one of them we found, we killed Mohammed Sinwar," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sinwar's death last month, but Defrin said they now had his DNA which proved beyond doubt it was him. Hamas has not commented on reports of the death of either Sinwar or Shabana. Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian group's deceased leader and mastermind of the October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people according to Israeli tallies, and which triggered the brutal Israeli attacks in Gaza. Shabana was one of Hamas's most senior and battle-hardened commanders in southern Gaza. He played a central role in constructing the network of tunnels under the southern city of Rafah, which were used for ambushes and cross-border raids. Destruction The drive to Khan Younis in Israeli military vehicles showed widespread devastation, with countless buildings lying in ruins, and piles of rubble collected at the roadside. The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations — a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied. While Israel has presented evidence in certain cases, some of its assertions remain unverified. Defrin said the army had carefully planned the strike near the European Hospital in order not to damage it. A large trench dug infront of the Emergency Room entrance led down to a hole in the claustrophobic, concrete tunnel, that was used as a hideaway by Hamas fighters, the army said. During the search of the site, Israeli forces recovered weapon stockpiles, ammunition, cash and documents that are now being reviewed for intelligence value. "We will dismantle Hamas because we cannot live with this terror organisation right in our backyard, right across our border," Defrin said. More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli attacks, according to Gaza health authorities. The UN has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store