Israeli Forces Shoot Dead Two Palestinians in the West Bank

On Thursday, November 27, Israeli security forces shot and killed two Palestinians in the West Bank after the men—judging by video footage circulated by an international news agency and two Arab broadcasters—appeared to be trying to surrender.

Israeli authorities said they were reviewing the incident and that both fatalities had links to armed groups. Palestinian officials described the killings as a “field execution.”

The shooting took place against the backdrop of large-scale Israeli operations and raids in the northern part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which have been under way for several days. Palestinian officials have again accused Israel of excessive use of force.

The footage shows two men emerging from a garage in Jenin. They lift their clothing to signal they are unarmed and raise their hands. They then drop to their knees as Israeli security forces aim their weapons at them.

The soldiers kick the men, forcing them back toward the garage. Seconds later, shots are heard, and one of the men is seen lying on the ground. In one of the reviewed clips, Israeli forces continue firing into the garage.

In a joint statement, the Israeli army and police acknowledged that shots were fired at the Palestinians, saying that “fire was directed toward the suspects.” They said the incident is being reviewed by on-site commanders and has been referred to “the relevant professional bodies.”

The statement also claims that the two Palestinians had thrown explosive devices at the forces and opened fire on them.

Palestinian authorities in the West Bank said both men had been killed and released their names—Al-Muntasir Billah Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37. The Islamic Jihad movement said both belonged to its armed wing.

Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, publicly backed the security forces. “The fighters acted exactly as expected—the terrorists must die!” he wrote on X.

The Foreign Ministry of the Palestinian Authority, the semi-autonomous body administering parts of the West Bank, condemned the incident as a “heinous field execution” and urged the international community to intervene.

“The ministry views this crime as a direct extension of Israel’s official, systematic and pervasive policy based on the deliberate killing of Palestinians outside the law,” the statement said.

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Husam Zomlot said the killings were “part of a single pattern extending across all occupied territory.”

The Israeli human-rights organization B’Tselem said the incident was the result of “the accelerated dehumanization of Palestinians and the complete denial of the value of their lives” by Israel.