ALBAWABA- The Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Human Rights and Civil Society Department has condemned what it described as the cold-blooded execution of two unarmed Palestinian civilians by Israeli soldiers in Jenin, saying the men had fully surrendered and posed no threat when they were shot dead outside their home.
The department said the incident constituted a war crime and a crime against humanity, urging an urgent, independent international investigation and referral of the case to the International Criminal Court.
The PLO called on the international community to provide immediate protection for Palestinians, and urged the parties to the Geneva Conventions to uphold their legal obligations and compel Israel to halt its “escalating violations.”
The outrage grew after Israel’s far-right National Security Minister publicly praised the soldiers involved, calling their conduct “exactly as expected.”
The killings come amid mounting international concern over rising settler attacks in the occupied West Bank. On Thursday, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain issued a joint statement condemning the “massive escalation of violence by settlers against Palestinian civilians,” and demanding that Israel abide by international law and protect residents in the territory it has occupied since 1967.
The four European ministers, Germany’s Johann Wadephul, Britain’s Yvette Cooper, France’s Jean-Noël Barrot, and Italy’s Antonio Tajani, said settler violence had reached “new levels,” citing U.N. figures showing that October saw the highest number of settler attacks in a single month since 2006, when the U.N. began tracking incidents.
“These attacks must stop,” they said. “They sow terror among civilians and undermine ongoing efforts to bring peace and ensure the lasting security of the State of Israel itself.”
The ministers urged Israel’s leadership, including President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to translate verbal condemnations into concrete action and hold perpetrators accountable.
They also welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s “clear opposition” to annexing the West Bank. They reiterated their rejection of any form of annexation or settlement expansion, calling such measures violations of international law.
