Hamas has mourned Fathi Khazem, a prominent Palestinian figure and the father of martyrs Raad and Abdul Rahman Khazem, after he was killed by Israeli occupation forces during a dawn raid on his home in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

Hamas described Khazem as a “heroic martyr” and a prominent Palestinian figure, saying he was killed by Israeli soldiers during an operation targeting his home.

The movement said Khazem was not only the father of two martyrs but also the father of Shaima Khazem, who it said is currently detained in Israeli occupation prisons.

Hamas strongly condemned the killing, describing it as another manifestation of what it called Israel’s continuing campaign of raids, assassinations and mass arrests against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank.

The movement said the killing of Khazem would not halt Palestinian resistance or weaken the determination of Palestinians to remain on their land and defend what it described as their legitimate national and religious rights.

Hamas also praised Palestinians in the West Bank for what it called their steadfastness in the face of intensified Israeli military operations and settler attacks.

In its statement, Hamas called on Palestinians and Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank to continue confronting Israeli forces and settlers.

The movement urged what it described as the “revolutionary youth” of the West Bank to intensify resistance against Israeli military forces and settlers at points of confrontation.

The statement comes amid heightened Israeli military activity across the northern West Bank, particularly in Jenin, where Israeli forces have repeatedly conducted raids, arrests and military operations.

The killing of Fathi Khazem is particularly significant because of the losses suffered by his family.

His son Raad Khazem was martyred by Israeli forces in 2022 after being accused by Israeli authorities of carrying out a shooting attack in Tel Aviv. Later that year, his other son Abdul Rahman was also martyred during an Israeli military operation in Jenin.

Fathi Khazem subsequently became a prominent figure among Palestinians in Jenin, particularly following the deaths of his sons.

His killing has now drawn renewed attention to the escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians continue to face military raids, arrests, settler attacks and restrictions on movement.

Hamas said the latest killing would not break the Palestinian people’s “determination, resilience and steadfastness,” insisting that Israel’s campaign of military pressure would not force Palestinians to abandon their land or their demands for freedom and self-determination. (ILKHA)