According to AFP, Israeli special forces disguised as civilians stormed a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing three Palestinian militants who were sleeping in their beds.
The Israeli army said the operation was a preemptive strike against a terrorist cell that was planning an imminent attack. The Palestinian health ministry condemned the raid as a “new occupation massacre” and said Israeli troops fired indiscriminately inside the hospital.
The raid, which lasted less than 10 minutes, was captured by surveillance cameras. The footage showed Israeli soldiers dressed as doctors, nurses and women entering the hospital and heading to the third floor, where the militants were staying. They used silenced pistols to shoot them dead.
The Israeli army identified the slain militants as members of the Jenin Brigade, a coalition of armed groups that operate in the Jenin refugee camp. One of them was Jalamneh, a Hamas operative who was wanted for his involvement in a shooting attack that killed six Israelis in Jerusalem in October 2022. The army said he was also behind several other attacks and had contacts with the Hamas leadership abroad.
The other two were brothers Mohamed and Basel Ghazawi, who belonged to the Islamic Jihad, another militant faction. The army said they were also involved in terrorist activity in the area and had been born in the Jenin refugee camp.
The Israeli army said the raid was necessary to prevent a terrorist attack that was inspired by the Jerusalem massacre and that the militants had used the hospital as a hideout and a weapons depot. It also accused the militant groups of using civilian areas and hospitals as shields and bases for their operations, and said it had faced similar situations in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas militants had taken refuge in hospitals.
Tensions have soared in the West Bank since the 7 October attacks, with near daily Israeli arrest raids and clashes with Palestinians. Jenin, a militant stronghold, has been a focus of such raids for months.
Since 7 October, Israeli forces have killed at least 357 Palestinians – militants, civilians and attackers – in the West Bank, while Israeli settlers have killed at least eight, according to the United Nations.
Palestinians from the West Bank have killed at least 10 Israelis in attacks in the West Bank and Israel in the same period.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Hamas suspect who was killed had “planned a raid attack inspired by the October 7th massacre”.
Peoplesmind
