Israeli West Bank raid, two killed: Palestinian health ministry
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Raven Ruma
- . December 1, 2022
- . Update: December 1, 2022 9:35 pm
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, two Palestinians were killed on Thursday during an Israeli military raid in a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank.
The two individuals killed, according to reports from Israeli media, were commanders in the extremist organisation Islamic Jihad. They were named by the Palestinian Health Ministry as Naeem Jamal Zubaidi, 27, and Mohammad Ayman Saadi, 26, but it was unclear whether or not they were terrorists.
The military was reportedly engaged in gunfire while conducting an arrest raid in the city of Jenin. The two men were killed by the soldiers in response. An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by the Israeli military.
Following a wave of deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the spring, the military has been conducting months-long arrest sweeps in the West Bank. The Israeli military claims that the operations are intended to destroy militant networks and prevent other assaults, while the Palestinians claim that they just serve to solidify Israel’s ongoing occupation and weaken their own security forces.
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The operations increased hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians, sparking a new round of Palestinian attacks that have resulted in eight more deaths in recent weeks.
This year, more than 130 Palestinians have died, making 2022 the bloodiest year since 2006. However, local adolescents protesting the incursions as well as other people who were not involved in the violence have also been slain, according to the Israeli military, who claims that many of those murdered were militants.
In the 1967 Middle East conflict, Israel took control of the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians desire those areas for their eventual state, which they intend to establish. The last time there were significant peace negotiations was more than ten years ago, and with Israel on the verge of electing what will perhaps be its most right-wing administration ever, there doesn’t seem to be much hope for a negotiated settlement in the foreseeable future.
