Israeli occupation forces launched a brutal military assault in the Qabatiya neighborhood, south of Jenin, resulting in the deaths of at least two Palestinian civilians and multiple injuries, Palestinian health officials confirmed.

The deadly attack, involving heavy shelling of a besieged home, marks a severe escalation in Israel’s ongoing campaign of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The operation began when Israeli troops, supported by armored vehicles and drones, surrounded and bombarded an agricultural facility located between the towns of Qabatiya and Mirka—used by local farmers—reducing parts of it to rubble. Eyewitnesses reported the targeted destruction amid a wider surge of intensified Israeli raids across the West Bank, particularly in Jenin, a long-standing center of Palestinian resistance.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the two martyrs as 23-year-old Ahmed Al-Zagharneh and 19-year-old Mohammed Abu Zumeiro, both residents of Qabatiya. Despite Israeli military claims that the operation targeted “armed terrorists,” Palestinian officials and witnesses maintain that the victims were unarmed civilians caught in indiscriminate attacks.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its ambulance crews were obstructed by Israeli forces, causing delays in providing emergency medical aid—a violation of international humanitarian law.

This violent incident is part of a wider pattern of aggression in the West Bank, where over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, according to media reports. Jenin and its refugee camp have faced repeated military raids, including airstrikes and the use of bulldozers to demolish infrastructure and intimidate the population. The United Nations has condemned these operations, warning that such destruction risks destabilizing the already volatile region.

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly documented patterns of unlawful killings, excessive force, and impunity enjoyed by Israeli forces. Calls have been made for the global community to intervene as Israel’s actions violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in occupied territories.

As Qabatiya mourns its losses, Palestinians across the region face the threat of continuing violence under Israel’s apartheid regime, with global silence enabling the perpetuation of these atrocities. (ILKHA)