story

11 Palestinians Killed, Over 100 Injured in Israeli Raid

    11 Palestinians Killed, Over 100 Injured in Israeli Raid
    Last updated Feb 23, 2023
    Image credit: ITN

    Facts

    • In a rare daytime operation allegedly to arrest three wanted militants, Israeli forces entered the Palestinian city of Nablus in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, killing at least 11 Palestinians and injuring 102 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.[1]
    • At least three of those killed were fighters, while at least another three were civilians, including a 72-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy. Palestinian sources said two of the deceased fighters were commanders in Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).[2]
    • The Israeli army said that the raid targeted suspects — who it accused of committing shootings in the West Bank — hiding out in an apartment. It added that troops came under fire but suffered no casualties.[3]
    • According to an AFP journalist, Israeli forces fired teargas at Palestinians, who burned tires and threw stones at military vehicles, before the soldiers withdrew from the city after three hours.[4]
    • Israel is reportedly preparing for possible revenge attacks and rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in response to the deadly raid, as tensions have been running particularly high over the last year.[5]
    • Last month, Israeli troops killed 10 Palestinian fighters in a similar raid in Jenin, near Nablus. The following day, a Palestinian gunman opened fire near a synagogue in an east Jerusalem settlement, killing seven people. Israel has launched regular raids throughout the West Bank following a spree of Palestinian attacks last year.[6]

    Spin

    Pro-Palestine

    Not even two months into the new year, and Israel has already committed two massacres against the Palestinian people. This massacre was even more heinous than the one in Jenin, as Israeli forces breached Nablus — one of the larger Palestinian cities — during the day when the old city was packed with civilians. Emboldened by international silence after killing more Palestinians last year than in any other calendar year since the Second Intifada, the occupation is becoming even more violent.

    Pro-Israel

    Though it's truly tragic when civilians die in the crossfire, the reality is they would still be alive if Palestinian terrorists chose not to hide among the civilian population. Israeli forces were fired upon before they engaged, and the fighters killed launched attacks against civilians. Ultimately, the media will uncritically blame Israel, but the truth is that the deadliest thing for Palestinians is Palestinian terrorism.

    Nerd narrative

    There's a 44% chance that Israel will recognize Palestine by 2070, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

    Articles on this story

    Sign up to our newsletter!