The bloodshed came as Palestinians marked the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which has previously seen intensified attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian protesters on Friday [Getty]
The New Arab Staff
02 April, 2022
Israeli forces killed three Palestinians travelling in a car in the occupied West Bank early on Saturday, as Palestinians marked the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.
A special unit of the Israeli army opened fire on a car with the three men inside near the town of Arraba, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The three men were identified as Khalil Tawalbeh, from Jenin, Saeb Abahreh, from al-Yamoun town, near Jenin, and Saif Abu Libdeh, from Tulkarm, according to Wafa.
After the shooting, a large unit raided and sealed off the area, preventing ambulances from entering, Wafa said, adding that Israeli forces took away the bodies after refusing to hand them over to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Israeli forces also took away the car, which was riddled with bullet holes, according to witnesses.
Israeli forces alleged that the three were members of the Islamic Jihad group, adding that they opened fire in an operation to arrest them.
The Islamic Jihad confirmed the three deaths.
"We mourn the death of our three hero fighters," the armed wing of the Islamist movement said.
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Gaza Strip’s Hamas issued a warning to the Israelis.
"The enemy's policy of assassination in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem will not provide it with so-called security," Hamas said.
The bloodshed came as Palestinians marked the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which has previously seen intensified attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Last year during Ramadan, Israeli forces attacked Palestinian worshippers in the al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, which led to 11 days of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On Friday, Israeli forces shot dead a 29-year-old Palestinian during protests in the West Bank city of Hebron, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Ahmad al-Atrash was taking part in a protest against Israeli settlements and had previously served six years in an Israeli prison before he was killed by Israeli forces fire.
The Israeli army said that during a "riot" in Hebron, "a suspect hurled a Molotov cocktail" at soldiers, who "responded with live fire".
The Palestinian Red Crescent said 70 people were wounded in Friday's clashes with the Israeli army in the Nablus area of the northern West Bank.
Rights groups have repeatedly slammed Israeli forces for showing "appalling disregard for human life" by using "reckless and unlawful lethal force" against Palestinians.
Amnesty International has repeatedly urged an end to the "worrying rise in unlawful killings by Israeli forces, fostered by a culture of impunity".
The West Bank, which has been occupied by Israeli forces since the 1967 Six-Day war, is home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers, living in communities deemed illegal under international law.
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