Two Palestinian intelligence service officers and one Islamic Jihad terrorist were killed by Israeli security forces operating in the northern West Bank, Palestinian media reported on Thursday.
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According to the report, the incident took place late on Wednesday night in Jenin near a checkpoint where the Palestinian officers were stationed. No injuries were reported among the Israeli forces – officers with the Border Police's counterterrorism unit.
The Border Police did not comment on the incident.
According to Palestinian media, the gunfight erupted when the Israeli troops sought to arrest Muhammad Samer Al-Bazour, a suspected terrorist, outside the PA Military Intelligence headquarters in Jenin.
The two Palestinian officers spotted the Israeli troops and opened fire, and the Israeli troops responded with several rounds of their own, resulting in the deaths of Lt. Adham Yasser Aliwi, 23, and Cpt. Taysir Issa, 33, and leaving a third officer, critically wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
It was not immediately clear whether the PA officers were aware when they opened fire that those pursuing the suspects were Israeli security forces.
The Palestinian Al Quds news website cited a senior Palestinian officer, the IDF did not give the PA security forces advance notice of the operation.
The military usually coordinates the entry of Israeli troops into Palestinian cities with their Palestinian counterparts so as to avoid confrontation.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a top adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, blamed Israel for the incident, which he called "another [incident] in the ongoing Israeli violations of the Palestinian people's rights and international law. This creates tensions and could lead to a dangerous escalation."
He said Israel "would be held accountable for the ramifications" of any escalation," and urged the international community "to provide protection for the Palestinian people."
Rudeineh further called on US President Joe Biden "to pressure Israel into halting acts of aggression to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control."
Hamas, the terrorist group controlling the Gaza Strip, lauded the dead officers, saying they were "heroes."
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