IDF says sniper likely mistakenly killed Palestinian girl during Jenin raid - The Times of Israel

The Israel Defense Forces said it believed with “high probability” that a worker accidentally changeable and killed a teenage Palestinian miss during a conflict with Palestinian gunmen successful the bluish West Bank metropolis of Jenin precocious Sunday.

The girl, Jana Majdi Assam Zakarna, 16, was recovered dormant connected the extortion of her location with a gunshot coiled to the caput aft the Israeli troops withdrew from Jenin, according to the authoritative Palestinian quality bureau WAFA.

The IDF, citing an archetypal probe of the shooting, said a Border Police sniper fired astatine Palestinian gunmen who were shooting astatine soldiers from rooftops during the raid.

“Following a preliminary investigation, it was recovered that determination is so a precocious probability that the miss who was killed was deed by an accidental changeable fired astatine equipped men connected a extortion successful the area, from which shots were fired astatine the forces,” the IDF said successful a connection Monday afternoon.

“It appears the miss who was killed had been connected the extortion of 1 of the houses adjacent the gunmen,” the subject said.

The IDF dismissed claims that the teen was changeable connected intent arsenic “unfounded and baseless.”

The subject was besides probing if Zakarna had perchance aided the gunmen by observing oregon filming the Israeli forces during the raid.

Earlier Monday, outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz expressed sorrow implicit the decease of Zakarna.

“First, I explicit my sorrow for her death, arsenic for immoderate decease of idiosyncratic who was not progressive successful terrorism, if that was so the case,” Gantz said astatine a faction gathering of his National Unity party.

He said the raid was aimed astatine arresting Palestinians suspected of caller shooting attacks and those progressive successful panic organizations.

“The substance is nether probe and I tin guarantee you of 1 thing, dissimilar those who basal by the roads with weapons, stones, and Molotov cocktails, waiting for an accidental to execution Israeli girls and boys, women, aged and children, IDF soldiers bash not sprout deliberately astatine uninvolved people,” Gantz said.

“The IDF volition proceed to enactment to thwart terrorism, anyplace and astatine immoderate time, portion adhering to the open-fire rules,” helium said. “The commanders and soldiers person afloat enactment to proceed to fulfill their ngo with professionalism and determination.”

كانت تلهو وتلعب فوق سطح منزلها .. لم تكن تعلم أنها اللحظات الاخيره لها .
من مكان استشهاد الطفلة الفلسطينية جنى زكارنة 15 عاما التي استشهدت برصاص الاحتلال الاسرائيلي في جنين???????? pic.twitter.com/De68BuRLyM

— غزة الآن – Gaza Now (@GazaNownews) December 12, 2022

Three different Palestinians were reported wounded successful the clashes, which included unrecorded occurrence and explosives, arsenic Israeli troops and Border Police officers, immoderate of them undercover, raided a Jenin concern precocious Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Border Police confirmed that troops opened occurrence and said 3 panic suspects were arrested during the late-night operation.

“Following the arrests, convulsive riots broke out, including unrecorded occurrence and explosives from assorted ranges directed astatine [Israeli] forces,” a Border Police spokesperson said said successful a statement. “The undercover officers, Border Police troops and Israel Defense Forces soldiers returned occurrence toward the terrorists.”

#شاهد لحظة إستهداف جيب عسكري يتبع للاحتلال بعبوة متفجرة في مدينة #جنين pic.twitter.com/DAVZmPsq7Z

— Newpress | نيو برس (@NewpressPs) December 11, 2022

Footage shared connected societal media showed troops emerging from a van and entering a storefront, past emerging with Palestinians whose hands are bound.

Heavy gunfire could beryllium heard successful the clips, and explosions could beryllium heard successful different videos from the city, including 1 that appeared to amusement a weaponry going disconnected adjacent to a subject jeep.

No Israeli troops were injured, constabulary said.

תיעוד: מסתערבי מג"ב מובילים את העצורים בפעילות הערב בג'נין pic.twitter.com/aq16hLkc2l

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) December 11, 2022

A section helping of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad panic radical confirmed opening occurrence and hurling explosives astatine Israeli troops.

The 3 arrested suspects were handed implicit to the Shin Bet information service, and an M16 firearm utilized by the Palestinians was seized, Israel said.

Tensions person been precocious successful the West Bank implicit the past year, with the IDF conducting an ongoing large anti-terror violative mostly focused connected the bluish West Bank to woody with a bid of Palestinian attacks.

The cognition has netted much than 2,500 arrests successful near-nightly raids, but has besides near much than 165 Palestinians dead, galore of them — but not each — portion carrying retired attacks oregon during clashes with information forces.

In overnight apprehension raids, troops arrested 18 wanted Palestinians, including the 3 successful Jenin, the IDF said Monday morning.

Many deadly clashes person occurred successful the Jenin and Nablus area, wherever Israel’s forces person concentrated astir apprehension operations.

On Thursday, three Palestinian gunmen were killed during a weapon conflict with Israeli forces successful Jenin. A week earlier, different two Palestinian panic operatives were killed successful akin clashes successful the West Bank city.

In caller months, Palestinian gunmen person besides repeatedly targeted subject posts, troops operating on the West Bank information barrier, Israeli settlements and civilians connected the roads.

The IDF has recorded astir 300 shooting attacks and attempts against Israeli civilians and soldiers successful the West Bank this year, compared to 91 past year.