On Thursday, November 27, 2025, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict saw another grim escalation as Israeli forces killed two Palestinian men in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin. The incident, which has reverberated across the region and drawn international condemnation, was captured on video and broadcast by Arab TV stations, igniting fierce debate over the conduct of Israeli security forces and the ongoing cycle of violence in the West Bank.
The two men, identified as Mahmoud Qasim Abdallah, 26, and Youssef Ali Youssef Essa'sa, 37, were shot after what appeared to be their surrender to Israeli troops. According to footage aired by Palestine TV and Egypt’s Al-Ghad, the men emerged from a garage, hands raised and shirts lifted to show they were unarmed. They were ordered to the ground, kicked by a border policeman, and then directed back to the garage entrance. As they lay on the ground, surrounded by troops, gunfire erupted. The men slumped, apparently lifeless, as at least one soldier was seen firing his weapon.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the two men were “wanted individuals affiliated with a terror network” who had previously thrown explosives and opened fire at troops. After surrendering, “fire was directed toward the suspects,” the military noted, adding that the incident was “under review” and would be referred to “the relevant professional bodies.” The Israeli military and national police announced that they had opened an investigation into the deaths, which were carried out by members of the border police, a special unit that often operates alongside the military.
The United Nations responded swiftly and forcefully. A spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, declared, “Impunity for Israel security forces’ unlawful use of force, and ever-growing Israeli settler violence, must end. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urges independent, prompt and effective investigations into the killings of Palestinians, and that those responsible for violations be held fully to account.” The U.N. described itself as “appalled” by what it termed the “brazen killing by Israeli border police.”
Palestinian authorities and rights groups were quick to condemn the incident, accusing Israeli forces of executing the men “in cold blood.” The Palestinian prime minister’s office labeled the shooting “an outright extrajudicial killing in blatant violation of international humanitarian law.” Hamas, in a statement quoted by the Palestine Chronicle, said, “The execution of two unarmed young men in Jenin — who posed no threat — exposes the criminal mindset governing the occupation’s behavior. The brutal campaign targeting West Bank governorates proves that resistance is the natural and legitimate response to the occupation’s crimes.” The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the two men’s bodies were detained by Israeli forces after the shooting.
The killings are part of a broader, intensifying Israeli military operation in the West Bank, particularly in the northeastern region. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted large-scale raids and closures in areas such as Tubas, detaining more than 100 people since Tuesday, November 25, 2025, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club. The military justifies these operations as a response to “attempts to establish terrorist strongholds and construction of terror infrastructures in the area.” The Los Angeles Times reported that Israeli airstrikes were launched on Wednesday and again on Thursday to provide aerial assistance to soldiers on the ground as part of the ongoing operation.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the current war in Gaza. On November 19, 2025, Palestinian attackers stabbed an Israeli to death and wounded three more before being shot down by troops, further fueling Israeli security operations. The latest operations have coincided with a marked rise in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. While Israeli leaders have characterized settler attacks as the actions of a small minority, Palestinians and international observers counter that such attacks are frequent, often occur in close proximity to Israeli troops, and that settlers are rarely prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza remains dire. Despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States over a month ago, Israeli airstrikes have intensified across the Gaza Strip, targeting multiple areas and causing widespread destruction and displacement. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, since October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks have killed 69,775 and injured 170,965 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children. Amnesty International warned on Thursday that “Israeli authorities are still committing genocide” in Gaza, stating that Israel continues to “deliberately inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, without signalling any change in their intent.”
Access to humanitarian aid in Gaza has also been severely restricted. The United Nations reported that only one out of eight planned aid movements coordinated with Israeli authorities was allowed into Gaza on Tuesday, November 26, 2025, a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement. The ongoing blockade and limited aid access have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, leaving civilians in desperate need of assistance.
Elsewhere in the region, Israel launched another series of airstrikes on suspected Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting what the military described as “Hezbollah infrastructure, including launch sites storing Hezbollah weapons.” The escalation comes just days before Pope Leo XIV’s scheduled visit to Lebanon, where he plans to meet political and religious leaders. The United Nations has reported that Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire last year have killed at least 127 civilians, including children.
Amid the violence, a rare moment of relief emerged on Thursday evening when Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian American detained by Israel for nine months, was released. Videos showed him visibly thin, with a shaved head and still in a grey jumpsuit, as he was embraced by his weeping family. His uncle, Zeyad Kadur, described him as “skinny and pale, his eyes are sunken in and he still has signs of scabies.” Ibrahim was arrested at his family’s home in the West Bank, accused of throwing rocks at Israeli settlers. In an affidavit, he stated that he confessed only after being threatened by interrogators. His release, while celebrated by his family and supporters, highlighted the broader issue of Palestinian detentions and the treatment of prisoners by Israeli authorities.
The international community continues to call for accountability and restraint as violence escalates on multiple fronts. The United Nations, human rights organizations, and Palestinian officials have all demanded thorough investigations into the recent killings and greater protection for civilians. Yet, as history has shown, such investigations rarely lead to prosecutions or meaningful change, fueling a sense of impunity and deepening mistrust on all sides.
As Israeli operations intensify in both the West Bank and Gaza, and as regional tensions threaten to spill over, the prospects for peace remain as elusive as ever. For families mourning loved ones, for communities living under threat, and for those still hoping for justice, the events of this week are a stark reminder of the enduring human cost of the conflict.
