Content warning: This video contains graphic content.
Newly circulated footage from a military raid in Jenin shows Israeli forces shooting two Palestinians moments after they surrendered, prompting a justice ministry review and renewed scrutiny of Israel's conduct in the occupied West Bank.
The video (via Reuters), recorded on Thursday evening, which was also witnessed and verified by journalists close to the scene, shows Israeli troops breaching a storage building in the occupied West Bank with a mechanical digger.
Two unarmed men then crawl out with their hands raised and lift their shirts to show they are not carrying weapons. Border police officers can be seen kicking the detainees and ordering them back inside before opening fire as the men crawl away.
Israel's military acknowledged the two deaths and said the incident occurred during a joint operation targeting individuals suspected of attacks on Israeli forces. According to the army, the suspects surrendered after hours of negotiations, and the shooting is now under internal review.
The footage has intensified criticism from human rights groups that say accountability for killings of Palestinians is rare. B'Tselem, which has long argued that internal military reviews do not lead to meaningful consequences, called the incident another example of Palestinians' lives being devalued.
Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, defended the officers involved, stating that the forces acted as expected during an operation against what he called wanted militants. The deaths come amid escalating tensions in the West Bank, where repeated raids and clashes have led to rising casualties.