Politics

Israeli Forces Kill Two Palestinians in West Bank

Published JAN 2 2023

Story

Image credit: Nasser Nasser/AP Photo

The Facts

Israeli forces on Monday killed two Palestinians identified as Fouad Abed — who Gaza's ruler Hamas group claimed to be its member — and Samer Houshiyeh during a raid on the village of Kafr Dan near Jenin in the West Bank. Three others were reportedly injured.
Al Jazeera
The military wing of Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party, the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, later affirmed that Houshiyeh was its member, publishing a previous photo of him posing with rifles.
The Associated Press
Israeli troops reportedly entered the village to demolish three residential apartments belonging to the families of the alleged murderers of an Israeli soldier in September. The army claimed that militants hurled rocks and explosive devices, and eventually opened fire on the soldiers.
The Wall Street Journal
Maj. Bar Falah, deputy commander of the Nahal Brigade's Reconnaissance Battalion, was killed on Sept. 11 by two Palestinian gunmen near the village of Jalama, north of Jenin, in an attack for which the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades took responsibility.
The Jerusalem Post
The violence comes as tensions in Israel and the West Bank continue to simmer, with Israel recently electing its most right-leaning government in history and 2022 being the most deadly year for Palestinians since 2006.
Al Jazeera
Following these first Palestinian fatalities since Netanyahu returned to office last week, Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh in a statement held Israel directly responsible for any escalation or violence that results from "acts of killings and daily incursions."
Reuters

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-Palestine narrative

Israeli military action in the West Bank amounts to serious war crimes. Israel practices collective punishment against Palestinians by targeting family members of those involved in resistance to the occupation. Quite simply, Israel's occupation is the main driver of violence, and Israel must be held accountable for the crimes it has committed against the Palestinian people.

Middle East Eye

Pro-Israel narrative

Israel's policy of demolishing the homes of known terrorists is not "collective punishment" or a "war crime." Rather, it is a form of deterrence, so the terrorists know that there is a heavy price to pay if they decide to attack Israelis. The only reason Israel has increased its operations in the West Bank is in response to Palestinian terrorism in Israel.