'Israel' bombs car, kills three Palestinians in Jenin, West Bank

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Mar 2024 20:39
4 Shares

Ahmad Barakat, Mahmoud Rahal, and Mohammad al-Fayed were targeted by a missile from an Israeli drone earlier today a few minutes before Iftar.

Footage shows the car burning after the Israeli drone (X)

The Jenin Brigade of Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, mourned three Resistance fighters: Ahmad Barakat, Mahmoud Rahal, and Mohammad al-Fayed, who were targeted by a missile from an Israeli drone earlier today.

CCTV footage shows the moment a vehicle carrying three #Palestinians who were mourned by the #Jenin Brigade of al-Quds Brigades was bombed.#Palestine pic.twitter.com/DzxowhKtBl
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 20, 2024

The Israeli Channel 13 reported that the Israeli army assassinated Palestinian fighters in Jenin with a drone strike, allegedly while they were heading to carry out an attack.

#BREAKING | The Israeli occupation bombs a civilian car in #Jenin, #WestBank.

Two people have been reportedly killed in the strike. pic.twitter.com/Xxg6biH2qX
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 20, 2024

The Palestinians who were assassinated by an Israeli air strike in Jenin in the northern West Bank are:
- Ahmed Hani Barakat
- Mahmoud Rahal
- Mohamed Al-Fayed pic.twitter.com/0mUYHsDvmf
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) March 20, 2024

Following the assassination, Palestinians took to the streets to express anger, vowing to retaliate.

An angry march in Jenin as Palestinians take the streets for the 3 martyred lions.
🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/SllrhqJICo
— Her name is Palestine 🇵🇸😇 (@ayshaaa_48) March 20, 2024

The effects of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 and the Israeli genocide in Gaza have unsurprisingly extended into the occupied West Bank. Despite the region's longstanding instability following the expansion of illegal settlement, the recent Israeli aggression in Gaza has exacerbated the situation.

With "Israel" conducting military operations, raids, mass arrests, thefts, and assassinations, tensions are escalating, leading many to anticipate a boiling point during the holy month of Ramadan.

Israeli Minister of Security, Yoav Gallant, has cautioned about potential security escalations during the holy month of Ramadan, coinciding with calls for participation in the "Ramadan Flood" to support Gaza.

Assassinations can't end Resistance, no image of victory for 'Israel'

Assassinating Resistance leaders has proven to be a failed policy to eliminate or defeat their groups, a piece published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz concluded.

Commenting on recent Israeli claims that they assassinated Hamas' senior leader Marwan Issa, Yossi Melman, an Israeli intelligence analyst, said that this course of action will not eliminate the movement, emphasizing that Hamas is deeply rooted in Palestinian society; in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and even outside the Middle East.

He pointed out that the most common Israeli illusion is that "decapitation" will help "make the Palestinian problem disappear," a belief held by many, even in the security and military establishments.

In further detail, the Israeli army intentionally exaggerates the ranks of Resistance leaders assassinated or their position within their groups, aiming to pat itself on the back and inflate the extent of its success against Hamas.

However, the reality on the ground is more complex, according to Melman, as the Resistance has inflicted many losses on the Israeli army in terms of soldiers and officers, with hundreds killed since the start of the invasion of Gaza and several thousands injured as well.

Moreover, there are "invisible" injuries, as many in the Israeli army suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders, which may manifest months or years after the end of the fighting, as per the piece.

Furthermore, it has been proven that one of the hypotheses that the occupation has been promoting, that senior Hamas leaders "hide with prisoners in tunnels to use them as human shields," is not true, Melman said.