Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in a flashpoint city in the occupied West Bank, days after Israel concluded a major two-day offensive meant to crack down on militants.
The persistent violence raised questions about the effectiveness of the raid earlier this week, which saw Israel launch rare air strikes on militant targets, deploy hundreds of troops and cause widespread damage to roads, homes and businesses. As a result of the raid, 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed.
The raid bore the hallmarks of the second Palestinian uprising, a period of violence in the early 2000s that killed thousands.
The Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet said on Friday the two men, who it claimed were behind a shooting attack this week, were killed in a gun battle with Israeli forces in the heart of the city of Nablus, the West Bank’s commercial capital.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men were killed by Israeli fire, identifying them as Khayri Mohammed Sari Shaheen, 34, and Hamza Moayed Mohammed Maqbool, 32.
In the aftermath of the shootout, bullet casings littered the blood-stained ground. Palestinians carried the bodies of the men killed into the hospital, chanting “God is great!” as guns fired into the air.
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