Israeli Raid in West Bank Kills 6 Palestinians, Including Suspect in Killing of Israeli Brothers
Six Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid in the West Bank on Tuesday, as Israeli forces attempted to arrest a suspect involved in the killing of two Israeli brothers the previous week. The raid took place in the refugee camp of Jenin in the northern West Bank, where gunshots were exchanged between Palestinians and Israeli troops, leaving at least 16 people wounded.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed in a video statement that the Palestinian suspect, 49-year-old Abdel Fattah Hussein Kharousha, was killed during the raid. Kharousha was a member of the Palestinian armed group and movement of Hamas, and was believed to have shot dead two Israeli settlers outside the town of Huwara in the northern West Bank on Feb. 26. The attack prompted hundreds of Israeli settlers to go on a rampage in Huwara and other nearby towns, torching Palestinian houses, cars, and shops.
The Israeli military had surrounded a building in Jenin where Kharousha and other fighters were hiding and fired shoulder-launched missiles at the building. Videos shared on social media showed large clouds of smoke emerging from the building.
The raid has been condemned by Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, who called it a “crime committed by the occupation forces” and criticized the Israeli government’s intention to “thwart all regional and international efforts aimed at stopping all unilateral actions.”
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been escalating since the beginning of this year, leading to the deaths of over 70 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.