IDF Soldiers Questioned for 5 Hours Over Close-Range Elimination of Terrorists

The three suspects involved in the controversial shooting incident in Jenin, which has ignited international uproar, particularly in the Arab world, were interrogated for approximately five hours on Friday. At the end of the questioning, they were released under restrictive conditions, and their weapons were not confiscated.

The investigation was launched after footage from the operation in Jenin, in the northern West Bank, was published over the weekend. The video shows two terrorists emerging from a building with their hands raised, in what appears to be a surrender. Nevertheless, the soldiers eliminated them at close range.

Jeremy Lawrence, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, accused Israel, stating that the event "looks like an execution."

The probe against the soldiers was initiated by the Department of Police Investigations (DPI) over the weekend. Senior sources in the Border Police told Ynet that "the undercover operatives are confident they did not deviate from orders and protocols."

According to the Border Police fighters' version, the force arrived at a building on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp around 2:30 PM, following precise intelligence about the presence of two wanted individuals suspected of throwing explosives and firing at IDF forces.The undercover operatives surrounded the building, called on the wanted men to surrender, and began a "pressure cooker" procedure, which included controlled fire at the building's walls and the use of stun grenades.

Border Police sources emphasized that "during the operation, uninvolved individuals exited the building, but the two wanted men continued to hide."Since the wanted men did not respond to the force's calls, it was decided to deploy engineering equipment that struck the building's walls.

Only then, according to the sources, did the two wanted men emerge. At that point, they said, the soldiers initiated a verification procedure to confirm that the suspects were not carrying explosives or weapons."

One of the wanted men tried to flee before the suspicion that he was armed or carrying weapons was ruled out," the sources said. "At that stage, fire was opened toward them due to a real fear for the lives of the forces."The sources noted that the wanted men "stopped obeying instructions, began moving back toward the building, and the force feared they were planning a life-threatening action."

Meanwhile, IDF and Border Police forces continued searches in the area.

The Border Police stated that the undercover operatives acted as part of a thwarting operation based on precise intelligence, and that these were two terrorists considered dangerous: "The fighters operated in a hostile environment, under real threat, and have carried out hundreds of operations against terror infrastructure. They are confident they acted in accordance with instructions."

In earlier disseminated footage, the two wanted men are seen exiting the building surrounded by the force, raising their hands and moving toward the soldiers, before being shot dead.

The IDF and police stated that these were wanted individuals who had barricaded themselves in the building for hours, and that "the incident is under command investigation and will be forwarded for review by the authorized parties."

According to the IDF and police announcement, the forces acted to arrest two terror operatives who had carried out severe violent actions against security forces. "After deploying engineering tools, the two wanted men exited the building, and due to suspicion of a life-threatening danger, fire was opened. The incident is being investigated."

The DPI announced that it has begun examining the footage materials and the soldiers' testimonies, and will decide how to proceed with the investigation.

According to the IDF: "During an operation by Border Police and IDF forces in the city of Jenin in the Menashe Brigade area, the forces acted to arrest suspects who carried out terror activities, including throwing explosives and firing at security forces."

The suspects belonged to the terror organization in Jenin. The forces entered the area, surrounded the building where the suspects were staying, and conducted a surrender procedure that lasted several hours. Upon deploying engineering tools on the building, the two suspects emerged."

After they exited the building, the soldiers opened fire on the suspects. The incident is under field command investigation and will be forwarded for review by the authorized parties."