Palestinian shot dead by Israeli forces during raid in Jenin

At least one Palestinian has been killed and six others injured, including a doctor, by gunfire fired by Israeli security forces during a raid carried out early Friday in the West Bank town of Jenin, Palestinian officials have confirmed.

“The result of the Israeli aggression this morning in Jenin: one martyr and six wounded, including one in critical condition from a gunshot to the head,” the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a brief message on its Facebook social network account.

Sources quoted by the Palestinian news agency WAFA have indicated that a special unit of the Israeli Army has carried out a raid that has led to clashes. The deceased has been identified as Matin Dabaya, while the injured doctor is Abdullah abu Tin, who was shot while trying to treat a wounded man.

For its part, the Israeli Army has said in a series of messages on its Twitter account that “the presence of civilians in combat zones pose a danger to their lives,” before adding that “several armed suspects fired shots and threw explosive devices at security forces.” According to ‘The Times of Israel’, the Israeli Army is investigating whether Abu Tin was hit by Palestinian gunfire.

The Israel Defense Forces has indicated that “two suspects have been arrested,” including Dia Muhamad Yusef Salama, identified as a member of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) active in a refugee camp in Jenin. “Salama is responsible for several recent attacks against Israeli security forces and was planning to carry out more attacks,” he concluded.

The raid has been carried out amid heightened tensions in recent weeks in the West Bank, which prompted Israel to put security forces on high alert in late September ahead of the upcoming Jewish holidays — Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot — while Hamas warned of “repercussions” for Jewish worshippers visiting the Esplanade of the Mosques during these holidays.