Investigation Launched After Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Suspects

On November 28, 2025, Israeli Border Police officers shot and killed two Palestinian men, Mahmoud Qassem Abdallah, 26, and Youssef Asasa, 37, in the northern town of Jenin, West Bank. The incident occurred after the men appeared to surrender, raising accusations of extrajudicial killings. The Israeli military stated that the men were wanted for their involvement in attacks against Israeli troops and that they had thrown explosives prior to the shooting. However, video footage captured during the incident shows the men exiting a garage with their hands raised, seemingly indicating their surrender.

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In response to the incident, the Israeli Justice Ministry's Department for Internal Police Investigations has initiated a criminal investigation into the actions of the three Border Police officers involved. The Israeli military has also stated that the incident is under review and will be referred to relevant professional bodies. The military's narrative suggests that the officers acted out of fear for their safety, believing the suspects were armed. One officer reportedly stated, “We feared that the terrorists were armed. We saw them fiddling with equipment inside the building. We feared they would try harming the forces.”

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The Palestinian Authority condemned the shooting, labeling it an "outright extrajudicial killing in blatant violation of international humanitarian law." The Prime Minister's office in Ramallah accused Israel of executing the men "in cold blood," reflecting the heightened tensions surrounding military operations in the West Bank. This incident is part of a broader escalation in Israeli military activities in the region, which have intensified since the onset of the conflict with Hamas in October 2023.

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The shooting of Abdallah and Asasa is situated within a larger context of increased violence in the West Bank, where Israeli forces have conducted numerous operations aimed at dismantling what they describe as terrorist infrastructures. Since the beginning of the conflict, the Israeli military has detained over 100 individuals in the Tubas area alone. The situation has been exacerbated by rising violence from Israeli settlers, which Israeli leaders have downplayed as the actions of a minority.

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Human rights organizations and Palestinian officials have criticized the Israeli military's approach, arguing that such incidents contribute to a cycle of violence and undermine efforts for peace. Critics assert that the use of lethal force against individuals who appear to surrender is indicative of a broader pattern of excessive force employed by Israeli security forces.

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• “We feared that the terrorists were armed. We saw them fiddling with equipment inside the building. We feared they would try harming the forces,” — Israeli Border Police Officer

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The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with potential implications for Israeli military policy and accountability. As tensions remain high in the region, further military operations and international responses are anticipated in the coming weeks.

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