JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s security forces said on Wednesday they killed three Palestinians who were allegedly involved in recent shooting attacks against Israelis.
Israel carried out the raid operation in the West Bank city of Nablus, located in biblical Judea and Samaria.
“A terrorist cell from the Nablus area was eliminated. The cell is responsible for a series of shooting attacks in the area against the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli civilians in recent weeks,” Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service and the Border Police said in a joint statement.
Shin Bet said the three armed suspects were killed in a “clash” with police. No Israelis were injured during the operation.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett applauded the move, saying “our forces have proven today, once again, that there is no immunity for terrorists. Whoever harms us – will be harmed.”
Defense Minister Benny Gantz also congratulated the Israeli security forces.
“We will continue our proactive operations, and we will thwart and catch anyone who tries to harm human life,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, condemned the killings and called for an international operation. Thousands of Palestinians marched through the streets during the suspects’ funeral, waving flags of Palestinian factions and vowing revenge. Some fired guns in the air.
“With blood and spirit, we’ll redeem you, o martyr!” they chanted.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, an armed group tied to President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party, identified the slain as Ashraf al-Mubaslat, Adham Mabrouk, and Mohammed al-Dakhil. In a statement, it said the three are “heroic martyrs” and promised to take revenge.
In recent weeks, there have been a number of Palestinians carrying out shooting and stabbing attacks against Israelis in the West Bank. There have been at least five shooting attacks in the last two weeks, none of which resulted in Israeli casualties. Most recently, on Sunday, gunmen opened fire on an Israeli Border police vehicle near the city of Jenin.
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