Hamas: Israel’s continued crimes, violations will not go unnoticed

Hamas holds the Israeli occupation accountable for its continued crimes and violations and reaffirms that they will not go unnoticed,” the movement said in a statement on Friday.

Hamas commemorated the two Palestinian men Habib Mohammad Ikmail, 25, and Abdul Hadi Fakhri Nazzal, 18, who were unlawfully killed by the Israeli forces in a Thursday raid on the town of Qabatiya in the city of Jenin in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

In its statement, Hamas reaffirmed the “legitimate right” of the Palestinians to resist the Israeli regime’s occupation in their quest for freedom as stipulated in UN Resolution 37/43, dated December 3, 1982.

According to the statement, the UN resolution reiterated “the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and occupation by all available means, including armed struggle.”

Earlier on Friday, Nazzal succumbed to critical injuries after being shot in the chest and neck by Israeli forces during the Thursday attack, bringing the number of Palestinians killed in 2023 to nine.

On Thursday, Israeli forces shot Ikmail in the head in the same town. The Palestinian man was later pronounced dead in a hospital in Jenin.

Palestinians held a funeral ceremony for the two martyrs on Friday afternoon.

Also on Thursday, a Palestinian named Samir Ouni Harbi Aslan was killed while trying to stop Israeli forces from arresting his son at Qalandiya refugee camp north of al-Quds. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the 41-year-old man was shot in the chest during the raid.

Israeli forces launch raids on various cities of the West Bank almost on a daily basis under the pretext of detaining what it calls “wanted” Palestinians. The raids usually lead to violent confrontations with residents.

Over the past months, Israel has ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and cities throughout the occupied territories. As a result of these attacks, dozens of Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been arrested.

According to the United Nations, the number of Palestinians killed by Israel in the West Bank in 2022 was the highest in 16 years.

Reacting to fresh Israeli crimes, Hamas said in a Wednesday statement that Palestinian people will continue to defend themselves and the al-Aqsa Mosque until the end of the occupation and liberation of holy sites.