Israeli drone strike kills two Palestinian resistance leaders in Jenin

From the editors of the Palestine Chronicle

An Israeli drone strike killed two Palestinians identified as resistance movement commanders in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

The Izz el-Din al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement that West Bank commanders Raafat Dawasi and Ahmed Abu Ora were killed in an “assassination attempt” in Jenin on Saturday evening.

According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, witnesses said an Israeli military drone attacked and set fire to a civilian vehicle driving in the city.

The moment an Israeli drone bombed a vehicle in #Jenin with two rockets, killing Raafat Dawasi and Ahmed Abu Ora, both leaders of the Al-Qassam Brigades.

Abu Ora carried out the complex operation in the Jordan Valley in which a settler was killed last week. pic.twitter.com/RfgCFuZhud

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) 17 August 2024

The Brigades said Dawasi was from the village of Silat Al-Harithiya, while Abu Ora was from the village of Aqaba.

“They were responsible for planning and executing several high-profile operations, notably the operation to blow up the Namer vehicle in Jenin on June 27, 2024, the complex triple ambush near Al-Mutila village on July 23, 2024, and the operation in Al-Aghwar on August 11, 2024,” the movement said.

Dozens arrested

Over the past two days, Israeli occupation forces have arrested at least 25 Palestinians from across the occupied West Bank, including a student, children and former prisoners, WAFA reported.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) and the Commission for Prisoners' and Former Prisoners' Affairs said in a joint statement that the raids were accompanied by attacks on prisoners and their families, as well as significant damage and destruction to their homes.

“Redividing the West Bank” – Washington Post report on Israel’s campaign to expand settlements

According to the organizations, more than 10,100 Palestinians from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, have been arrested by the occupation authorities since October 7.

Since then, according to the Health Ministry, more than 630 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire in the occupied territories and nearly 5,400 others injured.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and called for the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

(PC, WAFA)