Nablus: general strike in protest against Israel's killing of Palestinians 

Shops and businesses across the northern West Bank city of Nablus were closed today as part of a general strike in protest against the Israeli military assassination of three Palestinians yesterday afternoon, Wafa news agency has reported.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that the three people were killed as a result of being shot by Israeli troops. It identified the victims as members of the military wing of Fatah, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. They were named as Adham Mabrouk, Muhammad Al-Dakhil and Ashraf Mabslat.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli Special Forces in a civilian vehicle stormed into Al-Makhfieh neighbourhood in Nablus and opened fire at a car being driven by a Palestinian.

The killings prompted widespread condemnation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for an international investigation into the killings, while the Palestinian Authority cabinet described the shooting as a “heinous crime”.

Internationally, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said that, “The killings come within the context of the policy of field executions and premeditated killings perpetrated against the Palestinian people, in flagrant violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

The OIC called on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to assume its legal and political responsibilities. “The international powers should put pressure on the Israeli occupation forces to stop these criminal acts, hold Israel accountable for all its violations and racist policies, and provide international protection for the Palestinian people.”

READ: Fatah official says Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Nablus ‘a turning point’