Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian, Wound Eight in West Bank Raid

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Facts

  • Israeli forces killed one Palestinian man and wounded eight others on Friday during a raid on the Tulkarem refugee camp in the northern West Bank, allegedly after local Palestinians attacked Israeli soldiers operating in the city.1
  • The Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, Wafa, identified the man who was declared dead at the Tulkarem Governmental Hospital after being fatally shot in the chest as Mahmoud Jihad Jarad.2
  • The Tulkarem branch of a loosely organized militant group known as the Lion’s Den, an armed group that formed last year, claimed Jarad as a member. However, the details of his affiliation are unclear.3
  • Fatah, the party that controls the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, stated that Jarad was its member but didn't claim him as a fighter.1
  • This death comes only a day after the Israeli military shot another Palestinian dead in a town outside of Nablus, also in the northern West Bank, as he allegedly opened fire on Israeli forces.4
  • The situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza has deteriorated in the last year as Israel — following a spree of Palestinian attacks last spring — has launched regular raids in the West Bank. According to The Associated Press, 168 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, while Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 27 people.5

Sources: 1Reuters, 2The Times of Israel, 3Washington Post, 4Al Jazeera, and 5Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Israeli incursions like this are only meant to provoke Palestinian residents who are growing increasingly frustrated with the daily brutality of the occupation under which they live. The goal of these raids is to terrorize the Palestinian population and make sure that nowhere is safe.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel launches raids like this to prevent Palestinian terror attacks against Israeli civilians. The Israeli military does everything it can to avoid civilian casualties, but Israeli forces were forced to use live ammunition after being fired upon.