Outrage, grief grip Palestinians after 6 killed by Israel forces in Jenin

A Palestinian protester throws a stone at Israeli security forces during clashes following a protest over the killing of six Palestinians, in the West Bank city of Hebron, on March 8, 2023. Outrage and grief prevailed in the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, a day after six Palestinians were killed and 26 others injured during an Israeli raid near the West Bank city of Jenin. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH/GAZA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Outrage and grief prevailed in the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, a day after six Palestinians were killed and 26 others injured during an Israeli raid near the West Bank city of Jenin.

Streets were almost empty and most stores were closed in West Bank cities, as a general strike was staged in response to the call from Palestinian factions to mourn the six Palestinians killed on Tuesday in the Jenin Palestinian refugee camp.

Issam Bakr, the coordinator of national and Islamic factions in Ramallah, told Xinhua that the strike was staged "to condemn the killing of six Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp."

Thousands of Palestinian mourners on Wednesday attended the funeral held for five of the victims in the Jenin refugee camp amid anger and grief. The sixth victim was buried in a cemetery in the city of Nablus.

The funeral participants, led by many armed men, waved Palestinian flags while masked men threatened to retaliate for the killing of the Palestinians.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) which rules the Gaza Strip, called for escalating "armed resistance" against Israel following the Israeli killings of Palestinians in Jenin.

Earlier Wednesday, the Israeli military bombed a military facility that belongs to Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip after a roadside bomb was detonated against an Israeli armored vehicle in the area, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

Palestinian sources told Xinhua that the Israeli troops stationed on the eastern border with the Gaza Strip fired two tank shells at a lookout post of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the southern Gaza Strip, but no injuries were reported.

An Israeli military spokesman said in a statement that there were reports that an explosive device was detonated near a military force at the Gaza Strip border that was carrying out military activity west of the security fence.

He added that there were no casualties among the Israeli forces, while the tanks responded by bombing a Hamas military site.

Meanwhile, Israeli public radio reported that the Israeli military asked Israeli farmers to evacuate the areas near the border fence adjacent to the southern Gaza Strip, hours after Palestinian militants fired a rocket at dawn at Israel.

Ahmed Al-Mudallal, a member of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, said in a statement that "there can be no truce with the Israeli occupation" as long as Israel "commits massacres in the West Bank."

The tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have been escalating in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the beginning of this year. Official Palestinian and Israeli figures showed that more than 70 Palestinians have been killed this year so far, while 14 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians.

A Palestinian protester throws a stone at Israeli security forces during clashes following a protest over the killing of six Palestinians, in the West Bank city of Hebron, on March 8, 2023. Outrage and grief prevailed in the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, a day after six Palestinians were killed and 26 others injured during an Israeli raid near the West Bank city of Jenin. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

Israeli security forces aim their weapons at Palestinian protesters during clashes following a protest over the killing of six Palestinians, in the West Bank city of Hebron, on March 8, 2023. Outrage and grief prevailed in the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, a day after six Palestinians were killed and 26 others injured during an Israeli raid near the West Bank city of Jenin. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

A Palestinian protester pulls a burning tire during clashes with Israeli security forces following a protest over the killing of six Palestinians, in the West Bank city of Hebron, on March 8, 2023. Outrage and grief prevailed in the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, a day after six Palestinians were killed and 26 others injured during an Israeli raid near the West Bank city of Jenin. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)