The killing of two Palestinians who appeared to be surrendering during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank has ignited fresh controversy over tactics employed in the occupied territories. The incident, captured on video and verified by multiple sources, shows the men with their hands raised before being shot at close range.
“They had their arms up. There was no threat,” said Mahmoud Sabri, a shopkeeper who witnessed the raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem. “Everyone around me was shocked—even those who have seen violence before.”
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Qassam Sarhan, 27, and Mohammed Abu Tabikh, 22, were both killed during the pre-dawn operation Thursday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described the men as “armed militants” who had fired at Israeli forces, though the footage does not show them holding weapons at the time they were shot.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk called for an immediate investigation, describing the footage as “deeply disturbing” and potentially representing “an extrajudicial execution.” This marks the latest in a series of incidents that have drawn international scrutiny to IDF operations in the West Bank.
The video, initially shared by Palestinian journalists and later verified by human rights organizations, shows the two men on a rooftop with their hands raised as Israeli soldiers take aim from a nearby position. Multiple shots are heard before both men fall to the ground.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant defended the operation as part of Israel’s broader campaign against “terrorist infrastructure” but declined to comment specifically on the shooting. “Operations in the West Bank follow strict protocols designed to minimize civilian casualties,” Gallant stated at a security conference in Tel Aviv hours after the incident.
For residents of Nur Shams, one of the West Bank’s most densely populated refugee camps, the raid fits into a pattern of escalating violence. According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Israeli forces have conducted over 40 raids in the camp this year alone, arresting more than 200 people and killing 27 Palestinians.
“Every week brings a new tragedy,” said Amal Khatib, a nurse at the Tulkarem Governmental Hospital where the bodies were brought. “We’re seeing patients with precision gunshot wounds that suggest deliberate targeting, not the chaotic crossfire of combat.”
The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, which collected testimony from witnesses, called the incident “a clear case of soldiers shooting Palestinians who posed no immediate threat.” Their field researcher documented damage to surrounding buildings suggesting heavy weapons were deployed during what was described as a “routine arrest operation.”
The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry condemned the killings as “state terrorism” and called for international protection for Palestinians. Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States was “deeply concerned” and had requested more information from Israeli authorities.
Violence in the West Bank has intensified dramatically over the past two years, with Palestinian health officials recording 512 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since January—the highest toll since the second intifada. The Israeli government reports 29 Israelis killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and growing settler violence in the West Bank. The Norwegian Refugee Council reports that over 1,200 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli settlement expansion and military operations this year, while the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented a 43% increase in settler attacks compared to 2023.
Economic conditions have deteriorated sharply in Tulkarem and surrounding areas, with unemployment reaching 37% according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Military checkpoints have disrupted supply chains, leaving local markets struggling to stock basic goods.
“We’re caught between military raids and economic collapse,” said Ibrahim Nawfal, who runs a small grocery store near where the shooting occurred. “Young men here face impossible choices—no jobs, no freedom of movement, and the constant threat of arrest or worse.”
As night fell over Nur Shams, hundreds gathered for the funeral procession of Sarhan and Abu Tabikh. Women ululated from balconies while young men carried the bodies wrapped in Palestinian flags through narrow streets, their anger palpable but controlled.
The Israeli military prosecutor’s office announced it would review the incident, though similar investigations have rarely led to serious consequences for soldiers. Of 248 investigations into Palestinian fatalities opened since 2020, only seven have resulted in indictments, according to military court records.
For those living under occupation, such statistics offer little comfort. “Justice isn’t something we expect anymore,” said Abu Tabikh’s cousin, watching as mourners filled the small cemetery. “But the world should at least acknowledge what’s happening here. These weren’t combatants dying in battle—they were men with their hands up.”
