Photo via Reuters
Israeli security forces killed at least three Palestinians and injured 14 others in a shootout in the Jenin refugee camp on Saturday. The killings reportedly occurred after the Israeli military raided the camp with the intent of arresting Hamza Abu el-Hija, an alleged member of the military wing of Hamas, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.The other two Palestinians that died were 17-year-old Mahmoud Abu Zeina, who was reportedly a member of Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigade and Yazan Mahmoud Basim Jabarin, 22, a member of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Brigade, according to Hamas.The Israeli military reportedly exchanged fire with the Palestinians, after encircling houses. According to the Israeli military, Abu el-Hija was wanted for “shooting, bombing attacks and planning future acts of terror against Israelis.”The three militant groups vowed “painful” retaliation for the three deaths, in a statement released on Saturday. Hamas also condemned the Palestinian Authority (PA) for being complicit in the killings and called for an end to the security collaboration between the PA and Israel.The PA had previously arrested Abu el-Hija as a member of Hamas.Nearly 15,000 Palestinians marched in Jenin on Saturday in a funeral procession for the dead, demanding an end to the peace talks and a renewed call for resistance. Protestors also shouted slogans against PA president Mahmoud Abbas.Jenin has historically been a center for violent resistance and experienced some of the worst of the fighting during the second intifada, in particular in the Jenin refugee camp. According to an AFP tally, these latest deaths mean nine Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of this year. This is the deadliest incident since November when Israel killed three alleged Palestinian fighters.A spokesperson for the PA condemned the killings, saying they were "systematic Israeli policy aimed at destroying everything" and urged the US to act before the complete collapse of the peace talks.This comes several months into the stalled peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, brokered by the US and currently on the brink of collapse. Both Abbas and Israeli President Netanyahu traveled to Washington this month to meet with President Obama in hopes of reviving the peace talks before the April 29 deadline. Despite these renewed efforts, the negotiations have made little progress, as Israeli settlements continue to expand in the West Bank and violence shows no sign of abating.Follow Olivia Becker on Twitter: @obecker928
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