Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a sharply worded statement on Thursday condemning what it described as the “point-blank execution” of two Palestinian men by Israeli soldiers near the Jabal Abu Zuheir neighborhood, close to Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
According to Palestinian media, Israeli forces shot and killed the two young men at extremely close range despite the pair having surrendered. Videos and eyewitness accounts circulating locally alleged that the men were unarmed and posed no threat at the time they were killed.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the incident a “deliberate Israeli war crime” and said the practice of field executions “is a systematic policy that reflects an entrenched culture of impunity within the occupation forces.” The ministry urged international authorities to intervene and hold Israel accountable.
The reported killings come amid a sharp escalation in Israeli military operations and settler attacks across the West Bank, prompting renewed international concern.
France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on Thursday calling on Israel to comply with its obligations under international law and to take immediate action to curb settler violence.
“We France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom strongly condemn the massive escalation in settler attacks against Palestinian civilians,” the four foreign ministers said. “These destabilizing actions jeopardize the success of the Gaza 20-point plan and endanger prospects for long-term peace and security.”
The statement urged Israel to ensure protection for Palestinian communities and stressed that unchecked violence “plants fear among civilians and undermines ongoing peace efforts.”
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reiterated the group’s concerns, saying the four countries “strongly denounce the dramatic increase in settler violence in the West Bank,” and called for urgent de-escalation.
Tensions in the West Bank have surged in recent months, with regular Israeli raids in Jenin, Nablus and surrounding areas, alongside an uptick in settler-led attacks on Palestinian villages. Human rights groups warn that the combination of military operations, expanding settlements and growing impunity is pushing the West Bank into one of its most volatile periods in years.
The Palestinian leadership says the Jabal Abu Zuheir killings exemplify a pattern of extrajudicial actions by Israeli forces, while international pressure particularly from European allies appears to be mounting on Israel to rein in both military and settler violence.
