Ramallah, occupying the West Bank – Israeli forces have killed three Palestinian men during an offensive in Jenin, the latest casualties in months of Israeli attacks on the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the three killed on Thursday morning as Siqdi Zakarneh, 29, Atta Shalabi, 46, and Tareq al-Damaj, 29.
The ministry announced their deaths at around 5:30am (02:30 GMT).
Zakarneh and al-Damaj were from the Jenin refugee camp, while Shalabi was from the town of Qabatya on Jenin’s southern border.
At least two other Palestinian men were injured by Israeli fire during the fighting, including one who is in critical condition, local media told Al Jazeera.
A general strike by the government of Jenin has been announced to mourn the three men, schools, businesses and shops have been closed.
Israeli forces, including special forces, stormed Jenin and its refugee camp early Thursday and arrested several wanted Palestinian fighters, as clashes broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinian men.
According to local journalist Mujahed al-Saadi, one of the men killed – Sidqi Zakarneh – was a soldier, while Shalabi and al-Damaj were civilians.
Al-Saadi, as well as local media, said Zakarneh was affiliated with the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade – the military wing of the Fatah party but it is not known if Zakarneh was fighting when he was shot.
“Eyewitnesses say Zakarneh was shot in his car. The people who took him out of the car said they did not find any weapons on him,” said Al Jazeera producer Ali al-Samoudi, who lives in Jenin.
The second person who was killed, Atta Shalabi, was passing by with his brother on his way to work and found Zakarneh dead in his car.
“Atta tried to help Zakarneh but as soon as he approached, an Israeli army shot him,” al-Samoudi said, citing information received from Shalabi’s brother, Mohammad.
Shalabi was a servant in Israel like his brother. He had a work permit and was on his way to the Jalameh playground in Jenin when he was killed.
The story of the killing of the third person, al-Damaj, is unknown.
After the incident, the Israeli army said that its forces had been carrying out “anti-terrorist operations” near Jenin while its soldiers were “targeted by direct fire and responded with live fire” at the time of the arrest.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman for the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), said that “the Israeli government is trying to set the region on fire by continuing its crimes against the Palestinian people”, adding that the frequent killings in Palestine are creating an “explosion”.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said two men were arrested during the attack – Bajes Kayed and Khaled Misbah Abu al-Hayja – both prisoners in Israeli prisons.
Local media reported that Israeli forces also fired on Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances during the fighting. Videos shared online showed the results of their targeting, with multiple bullet holes showing through the windshield and inside the ambulance.
Four Palestinians have been killed in less than 24 hours
The killing of the three men comes less than 24 hours after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man from the town of Silwad outside Ramallah in the central West Bank.
The man was identified as 32-year-old Mujahed al-Najjar. Residents told Al Jazeera al-Najjar that he was shot dead by Israeli forces in the nearby village of Deir Dibwan following a manhunt.
Israeli officials say they believe al-Najjar is responsible for several shootings in recent days at the Ofra military base, which was built in the Silwad area and stands at its entrance.
On Thursday morning, Israeli forces raided Silwad and arrested al-Najjar’s father and brother.
The conflict between the occupied West Bank and Israel has been ongoing since last year.
Israeli military attacks and killings of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank have increased and are occurring almost daily, paralleling the rise of Palestinian arms, and the increase in Palestinian violence.
The attacks have focused on the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus, where Palestinian resistance is growing.
More than 200 Palestinians, including more than 50 children, have been killed by Israel in the occupied territories of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip in 2022 – the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2006.
More than 25 people have been killed in Israel.
