Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out a deadly attack in the West Bank town of Burqin near Jenin, martyring two Palestinian resistance fighters, Mohamed Abul-Asaad and Qutaiba al-Shalabi, both members of al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas.

This incident occurred as Israel's aggressive military operation against the Jenin refugee camp entered its third day on Thursday.

According to local reports, the IOF engaged in a fierce five-hour gun battle with the resistance fighters, ultimately encircling a house in Burqin, west of Jenin, and unleashing a barrage of bullets, projectiles, and drone strikes upon it. The martyred fighters were honored by al-Qassam Brigades for their role in a previous operation in al-Funduq village, which targeted extremist settlers.

Eyewitnesses reported that after the deadly confrontation, Israeli forces, backed by a bulldozer, invaded the town, desecrating the martyrs' bodies and proceeding to demolish the targeted house, an act of collective punishment. Disturbingly, local sources also confirmed that Israeli soldiers used Palestinian women as human shields during this violent incursion, a clear violation of international law.

The Palestinian Red Crescent provided emergency medical aid to a 60-year-old man, the owner of the destroyed house, before transferring him to a hospital for treatment.

Simultaneously, the Israeli military continued to deploy additional forces into Jenin City and its refugee camp, with reports of explosions heard throughout the night, signaling ongoing military operations and further endangering civilian lives.

This relentless campaign by the IOF against Jenin and surrounding areas underscores the persistent aggression and the disproportionate use of force against Palestinian communities, highlighting the urgent need for international intervention to halt these atrocities and protect Palestinian rights and lives. (ILKHA)