Palestinian forces Clash with Israeli Military

On Sunday, September 26, 2021, five Palestinian gunmen were killed by Israeli security forces during a West Bank arrest operation that was attempting to overthrow the militant group, Hamas. Two Palestinians were shot dead near the Northwest bank of Jenin, while three others were killed in Biddu. Injuries on the Israeli side include an officer and soldier who are both currently in critical condition. Due to the violent shootout, tensions heightened and nearly reached an all time high.

According to Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, Israeli forces moved in against the Hamas operatives because they were going to “execute terror attacks” soon. Lt. Col. Amon Shelfer also spoke, saying the Israeli forces came under fire and had no other choice but to defend themselves. 

However, the Palestian Authority’s security forces, who coordinate with Israel to prevent the expansion of militant groups, say the Israeli government was fully responsible for the bloodbath, and committed the actions on their own accord. Just last month, there was Israeli troops had a shootout with Palestinian gunmen during a raid in Jenin. 

In recent months, there has been a great rise in violence, not only ruining relations, but also striking fear into citizens on both sides. Tensions have been high since the beginning of this year, when there was an eleven day war between Israel and Hamas at the Gaza Strip. If the struggles of power are not soon resolved, and continue to remain uncontrolled, it’s entirely possible there could be more bloodshed, preventing any resolution to the conflict.