Jenin: The Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) announced on Thursday the deaths of two Palestinian men during Israeli military detention operations in the governorates of Jenin and Salfit. The organization identified the victims as Mohammad Nazem Zayed, 29, from Jenin, and Mustafa Taha Mustafa al-Khatib, 32, from Salfit.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the PPS detailed that Mohammad Zayed was killed after Israeli forces surrounded a house in the town of Ya'bad, west of Jenin, and subsequently shot him, withholding his body thereafter. Meanwhile, Mustafa Khatib was reportedly shot and killed during a raid at his home in Salfit, with Israeli forces leaving his body inside after ransacking the premises.
The PPS statement condemned these incidents as part of an ongoing pattern of extrajudicial killings by Israeli forces, which, it claims, have escalated significantly during the current conflict, particularly since the onset of the war in the Gaza Strip. This escalation has reportedly resulted in a rise in deliberate killings of Palestinians during arrest operations or following detention.
The organization further highlighted numerous documented cases indicating that some Palestinians were killed after being detained, citing evidence of restraint marks on bodies and information emerging from prisoner exchange agreements. It emphasized that such killings are no longer isolated incidents but have become a systematic practice underpinned by political, legal, and military support.
The PPS also criticized Israel's legislative efforts to enact laws allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, describing these as steps toward legitimizing extrajudicial killings. It called for international human rights organizations and the United Nations to uphold their responsibilities in addressing these escalating crimes and to hold Israeli leaders accountable to prevent further impunity.
The call to action seeks to address what the PPS describes as the systematic failure of the international community to respond effectively to these alleged violations of Palestinian rights.