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NABLUS: Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinian gunmen in a pre-dawn raid in the occupied West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian sources said on Sunday, amid a surge in violence in the region.
The Israeli army claimed “gunmen opened fire” at an army position near the Jit junction, west of Nablus in the northern West Bank, with the soldiers responding with “live fire”.
A Nablus-based militant group said the Israeli troops had laid an ambush for them.
The Palestinian health ministry identified three men killed by Israeli gunfire near Nablus as Jihad al-Shami, 24, Uday al-Shami, 22, and Mohammad Dabeek, 18.
The Israeli army claimed the “three gunmen were neutralised during the exchange of fire and an additional armed gunman surrendered himself to the forces”. It added none of the Israeli forces were wounded in the clash.
The Lions’ Den, an emerging Palestinian militant group that claims to rise above traditional factional loyalties and has been blamed for a number of recent attacks on Israeli targets, identified the three as its members. A statement from the group said they had engaged in combat after identifying the Israeli ambush, vowing to revenge the “martyrs”.
Violence worsened in the occupied West Bank after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office in December. Speaking ahead of his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu commended the Israeli forces who “operate round the clock against those seeking to kill us”. Hamas, the Islamic rulers of the Gaza Strip, said the deaths would “fuel the great West Bank intifada,” or uprising.
UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland a few days ago urged Israel and the Palestinians to end violence without delay. “We are in the midst of a cycle of violence that must be stopped immediately,” he said.
While Netanyahu’s government has vowed to continue the expansion of West Bank settlements, which are illegal under international law, UN chief Antonio Guterres a month ago in a statement remarked, “each new settlement is another roadblock on the path to peace”. Since the start of 2023, the conflict has claimed the lives of 81 Palestinians, one Ukrainian and 13 Israelis.
Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2023
