The extension of the six-day Israel-Palestine ceasefire agreed this morning has been threatened by the killings of three people today (30 November) in Jerusalem and four people yesterday in Jenin.
Two boys, aged nine and 15, were shot dead during an Israel Defence Forces’ (IDF) raid into the Jenin refugee camp in West Bank.
A video originally released by Palestinian news agency Wafa appears to show one of the boys being shot dead in the street.
The IDF said two senior Hamas operatives were also killed during the incursion. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers entered Jenin on Tuesday evening (28 November), continuing military operations throughout Wednesday (30 November).
Fatalities in Jerusalem
This morning (30 November), two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem, killing three and injuring at least six others.
Both attackers were killed by off-duty Israeli soldiers and an armed civilian.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the two attackers were Hamas members from (Palestinian) East Jerusalem and had previously served prison sentences.
“These are apparently Hamas operatives, who speak here with two voices, one voice of a so-called cease-fire and a second voice of terror,” said Ben-Gvir. He added that the shooting showed the need to distribute weapons to Israeli civilians.
The below video appears to show the attackers firing at the bus station.
The end of a fragile ceasefire?
The shooting in Jerusalem came mere hours after the IDF and Hamas agreed to extend the six-day pause in fighting by 24 hours, as international mediators negotiate the release of more hostages.
Yesterday (29 November), Hamas released 12 Israeli and four Thai hostages back to Israel. In exchange, 30 Palestinian women and teenage boys were freed from Israeli jails, the BBC reported.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, which has been at the forefront of negotiations, noted that humanitarian aid must be allowed into the Gaza Strip as a term of the truce.
These incidents in Jenin and Jerusalem have thrown doubt over the ceasefire continuing.
As IDF and Hamas operatives seek retaliation for the other side’s attacks, the continuation of a fully-fledged war seems imminent.
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