Video and Witnesses Say Two Palestinians Shot Dead in Jenin While Trying to Surrender

Video footage and multiple eyewitnesses say two Palestinian men were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin as the men attempted to surrender.

Journalist Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, said reporters at the scene saw the men lift their shirts to show they were unarmed before military personnel ordered them back into the building where they had been sheltering.

"And then they were shot dead. They were executed," Odeh said, describing what on-site reporters witnessed.

In an official statement, the Israeli military said its troops had been pursuing individuals it described as "affiliated with a terror network" in the Jenin area and that a surrender procedure lasting several hours had been initiated. According to the army, after the suspects exited the building, "fire was directed towards the suspects." The military said the incident is under review by commanders on the ground and will be referred to the relevant professional authorities.

Observers and rights groups caution that past military reviews into killings of Palestinians have rarely resulted in indictments or criminal prosecutions.

Reactions and allegations

Mustafa Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Initiative, called the shooting a "shocking crime," saying the men were executed after surrendering in front of cameras. By contrast, far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the soldiers' actions on social media, saying forces "acted exactly as expected of them — terrorists must die!"

Escalation across the northern West Bank

The killing comes amid intensified Israeli operations across the northern West Bank, including the use of attack helicopters and drones during raids. Israeli troops continued to lay siege to large areas of the northeastern Tubas governorate following a wide-scale operation launched the previous day.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported at least 25 Palestinians injured and about 100 detained since the incursion began. Israeli authorities say the operation aims to dismantle armed groups, while residents and local sources accuse troops of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, obstructing journalists and ambulances, and damaging infrastructure.

Humanitarian agencies and rights organizations warn that violence and forced displacement in the West Bank have surged alongside Israel's military campaign in Gaza. United Nations experts and leading rights groups have described the Gaza campaign in terms that include allegations of genocide; rights groups have also accused Israeli forces of committing abuses in the West Bank.

Forced displacement, demolitions and rights warnings

The northern West Bank has been especially affected: an estimated 32,000 residents of several refugee camps have been displaced since January and prevented from returning. Human Rights Watch recently said forced evictions from Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity, calling for investigations and prosecutions.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) director for West Bank affairs Roland Friedrich said demolition orders target dozens of buildings in Jenin refugee camp, including 12 scheduled for full demolition and 11 for partial demolition later this week. He warned these actions are reshaping the camps' topography and tightening military control.

Amnesty International described the intensified operations as part of what it called a system of apartheid against Palestinians and urged the international community to act to prevent further attacks on civilians and to take steps toward ending the occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

The incident in Jenin and the wider operations in the West Bank remain under scrutiny by human rights organizations, local officials and international observers. Investigations, independent verification of the video footage, and official outcomes of any military review were not available at the time of reporting.