“Extrajudicial execution”. The UN reacts to the shocking video

The spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Jeremy Laurence, said on Friday that the shooting of two Palestinians by Israeli forces on Thursday in Jenin in the West Bank appeared to be an “extrajudicial execution,” Reuters reported.

Palestinian media footage shows that the men who were shot after leaving the building had their hands raised and were not armed.

The Palestinian Authority said the incident was a “flagrant violation of all international laws, conventions, norms and humanitarian values.” – reported the American station CNN. Israel's Justice Ministry has launched a criminal investigation into the border guard who fired the shots.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, both victims were wanted on suspicion of terrorist activities. The statement by the army and border guards emphasized that both forces had cooperated to arrest the suspects, whom they accused of throwing explosives and firing at security forces. The army said the operation targeting these people lasted for several hours.

The NPR public radio website reported that the incident, recorded on videos broadcast by two Arab television stations, occurred during the Israeli offensive in the West Bank. The Israeli authorities maintain that they are fighting terrorists and armed militants there, but the Palestinian side and human rights organizations accuse Israel of excessive use of force. They also warn that dozens of unarmed civilians have already been killed there.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad reported on Friday that the men shot belonged to the organization's military wing, and the elder of them was a local commander, the Times of Israel reported. (PAP)

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