Two Palestinians killed in West Bank raid by Israeli army, Islamic Jihad group condemns action

The Israeli army killed two Palestinians in a raid in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, said the Palestinian health ministry.The ministry stated that the Israeli forces shot dead two young Palestinians "during an assault on the village of Jaba, south of Jenin" in the West Bank's north but it did not provide any further details on the circumstances around thekillings.

The killings were condemned by the Islamic Jihad militant group in a statement, as they described the two men as "heroic martyrs" who belonged to the group.

It was said that the two men lost their lives as they tried to intervene against the "occupation forces which were carrying out a cowardly assassination operation".

Issuing a brief statement, the Israeli army said that a "counterterrorism activity" was launched by them near the village. During the operation, "suspects shot live fire" at the Israeli army through a passing vehicle.

"The soldiers responded with live fire. Hits were identified," it stated, adding that no Israeli soldiers suffered any injuries.

Two young men, who were killed by the Israeli army, were named as Ezzedine Bassem Hamamra, 24, and Amjad Adnan Khaliliya, 23 by the Palestinian health ministry.

WATCH | Israel-Palestine Tensions: Israel's new government approves steps to penalise Palestinians

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Yazen Samer Jaabari, a Palestinian, succumbed to injuries after the Israeli forces had shot him earlier this month, said the ministry.

On January 2, he was injured in an operation by Israeli army in the village of Kafr Dan, near Jenin, during which two other Palestinians had lost their lives, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa stated.

(With inputs from agencies)