Israel is facing growing international backlash after video footage emerged showing Israeli border police shooting two Palestinian men at point-blank range during a military operation in Jenin — despite the men appearing to surrender with their hands raised.
The footage, verified by multiple outlets, shows the two men walking out of a building with their shirts lifted to show they were unarmed. Officers order them to the ground. Moments later, they are forced back into a garage — and immediately gunned down.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the victims as Al-Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37.
The incident has touched off a political firestorm, with rights groups, the United Nations, and several Western governments calling the killing a “brazen summary execution” and demanding a transparent investigation.
Israel’s Defense Forces and Israel Police issued a joint statement claiming the men were “wanted militants” involved in attacks on Israeli troops. However, the statement did not explain why lethal force was used after the men appeared to comply and posed no visible threat.
The Israeli government said an internal investigation is underway, and several officers are reportedly being questioned. Critics, however, say past internal probes rarely lead to accountability — fueling accusations that the process is more about public relations than justice.
Human-rights organizations say the incident reflects a broader pattern in the West Bank, where raids have intensified and civilian casualties continue to rise. International pressure on Israel has been building for months, but the clear, close-range nature of the video has triggered a new wave of condemnation.
European governments, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy, released a joint statement calling the footage “deeply alarming” and warning that the optics of the shooting severely undermine Israel’s credibility on rules of engagement.
Meanwhile, Palestinian officials say the killings will further destabilize the already-volatile region, where tensions remain high.
As the investigation unfolds, global scrutiny is expected to intensify — and Israel faces mounting pressure to provide answers that the international community will accept as credible.
