On Wednesday, an Israeli military drone fired a missile at a Palestinian car near the Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank’s northern part, killing five Palestinians, including two siblings.
Media sources said the drone fired a missile at a car near a junction adjacent to Balata refugee camp, destroying it and burning the bodies of those in it.
Palestinian medics and firefighters rushed to the location of the Israeli attack; however, Israeli soldiers who invaded the area prevented them from reaching the car.
The Israeli military vehicles surrounded the area of the bombarded car and fired live rounds at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance and medics.
The PRCS stated that only after the army withdrew from the area, the medics located the severely mutilated and burnt corpse of one Palestinian and the mutilated and dismembered body parts of the two other Palestinians.
It added that it seems the soldiers removed the mutilated corpse of one of the slain Palestinians from the damaged car and placed it under some rubble before confiscating the car.
Media sources said the army took the corpses two slain Palestinians, who were killed in the attack, before withdrawing from the area.
Palestine TV said the slain Palestinians have been identified as Saif and his brother Yazan Najmi, and Mohammad Al-Qattawi; all were also former political prisoners, in addition to Abdullah Abu Shallal and Mahmoud Abu Hamdan.
The Israeli occupation army claimed the Palestinians it assassinated were members of the Balata Brigade, an armed resistance group in Nablus.
The army added that Abu Shallal was the leader of the group, and that he was reportedly “planning a major attack in the near future.” in addition to holding him responsible for various shooting attacks against the army.
Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Arab media spokesperson of the Israeli occupation army, said the targeted attack eliminated what he described one of the two biggest cells operating in the West Bank.
Adraee added that Abu Shallal was allegedly in charge of a cell that, in October of 2023, planting an explosive device when the army was invading Nablus, but the cell was assassinated by the Israeli Air Force.
It is worth mentioning that, prior to the deadly drone attack, several military vehicles invaded Balata, before the military bulldozers destroyed streets and infrastructure, and the soldiers stormed and ransacked several homes.
First Published on: Jan 17, 2024 at 08:35
