Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in ambush as third succumbs to wounds

Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fores on Saturday in the occupied West Bank, as a third Palestinian succumbed to his wounds from an earlier injury, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called for "international protection" for Palestinians following Saturday's attack.

The two young men were shot dead on Saturday by Israeli forces "during an assault on the village of Jaba, south of Jenin" in the north of the West Bank, the health ministry said.

They were identified as Izzeddin Basem Hamamreh, 24, and Amjad Adnan Khalilieh, 23, both from Jaba.

Palestinian security sources told the Palestinian news agency WAFA that soldiers shot at a car carrying the two men near Jaba and chased it to the village of Fandakoumieh, continuing to shoot until the men were dead.

شـ.هـداء جنين...عز الدين حمامرة وأمجد خليلية 💔 pic.twitter.com/H6ULZECkaT

— #سعوديون_مع_الاقصى (@Saudis2018) January 14, 2023

Videos shared on social media showed a white vehicle in which the two were reportedly travelling with bloodied seats.

The Israeli army had earlier set up a checkpoint near Jaba, leading to clashes with local people, according to WAFA.

The two men were reportedly members of the Islamic Jihad group.

In a statement published after the incident, Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh said that 12 Palestinians had already been killed this year by Israel including three minors.

He said that the world "should take a clear stand [regarding] these crimes against the Palestinian people, including providing international protection", according to WAFA.

A third Palestinian died of his injuries after he was shot by Israeli forces earlier this month, the health ministry announced.

Yazan Samer Jaabari, 19, was wounded during in Israeli army attack on the village of Kafr Dan, near Jenin on January 2  in which two other Palestinians were killed, according to WAFA.

He was from the town of Al-Yamoun, west of Jenin.

أعلن عن استشهاد منذ قليل وعاد نبض القلب مجددا ... دعواتكم بالشفاء للشاب الفلسطيني يزن الجعبري من بلدة اليامون الذي اصيب برصاص الاحتلال الإسرائيلي في كفر دان بجنين الجميع يترقب من داخل المستشفى الآن 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/AC5kJoLCHT

— غزة الآن - Gaza Now (@GazaNownews) January 14, 2023

All three were laid to rest on Saturday as hundreds attended their funerals.

The West Bank has been occupied by Israel in violation of international law since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. A peace process launched in the 1990s has stalled in the face of a continued Israeli refusal to withdraw from the territory and cease settlement activity.

Israeli forces have launched near-daily raids on Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank since March last year.

Over 150 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the occupied territory in 2022, making it the most deadly year for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2005. 

In November a new extreme-right government came to power in Israel, raising fears of further oppression and violence against Palestinians.