The UN has condemned the killing of two unarmed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by the IDF, calling the incident an apparent “summary execution” and urging independent investigations.
UN officials described the deaths of Al Muntasir Billah Mahmoud Qassem Abdullah and Yousef Ali Yousef Asasa as a case of a “summary execution” after the two unarmed men were shot despite surrendering to IDF forces.
A video from Jenin shows the men emerging with hands raised and shirts lifted to show they were carrying no weapons. Israeli soldiers proceeded to shoot them moments later, an act that UN rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said was “yet another apparent summary execution”.
The Israeli army and police admitted the shootings were carried out by their soldiers and said an investigation would be launched, while Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, welcomed the killings, saying the officers “acted exactly as expected of them,” adding on X that “terrorists must die!”.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the victims even though Israeli forces withheld their bodies. Officers involved claimed the men failed to follow instructions.
The killings took place during a wide-scale assault in the northern West Bank, where Israeli forces have intensified operations since October 2023. Over the past two years, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians across the occupied territory. UN officials say killings have surged without accountability, even in rare cases when investigations are announced.
The footage of the Jenin raid spread quickly and showed soldiers using a mechanical digger to breach a building before ordering the two men to crawl out. A bald and bearded officer kicked them while they were on the ground, then ordered them back inside.
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As the men crawled away, five border police officers raised their rifles and shot them. Human rights groups said the scene reflected a wider pattern of abuse.
Yuli Novak, the executive director of human rights group B’Tselem, said, “The execution documented today is the result of an accelerated process of dehumanisation of Palestinians and the complete abandonment of their lives by the Israeli regime.”
West Bank violence
UN officials say violence in the West Bank has escalated sharply, with Israeli forces and settlers responsible for over a thousand Palestinian deaths since October 2023. The official said killings have been “surging, without accountability,” and cited statements from Israeli officials that raised concerns about the credibility of future investigations.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the Jenin killings as a war crime. Hamas called them part of a “systematic campaign of extermination”. Israel has expanded military operations across the northern West Bank and carried out mass-scale raids in Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas and surrounding areas. Earlier this year, an operation displaced around 30,000 people and caused extensive destruction.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported continuing violence with daily casualties and noted more than 1,600 settler attacks this year. Over 270 communities have been affected, and more than 1,000 Palestinians have been injured. Many suffered assaults, stone attacks or tear gas exposure.
Gaza conditions
Even with a ceasefire in place, UN staff and facilities in Gaza have come under fire. A UNRWA school in Jabalya was hit by what was reportedly an Israeli quadcopter strike, and armed Palestinians fired on a UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) team in Deir al-Balah the following night.
Despite the risks, aid distribution continues. Between Sunday and Tuesday, partners assisted 18,000 families with food parcels. Since the start of November, more than 204,000 families have received food support. Nutrition services are being expanded, with 40 treatment sites now operating across Gaza.
UN agencies are also restoring wells, extending pipelines and repairing sewage systems. The UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) has provided reproductive health kits and maternal health medicines, enough to support around 200 safe deliveries over three months. Mine action partners are assessing sites to allow humanitarian operations to continue safely.
