Jenin general strike mourns Palestinians killed by Israel occupation forces

A general strike is being observed today in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp as a gesture of mourning following the killing of three Palestinians in an Israeli drone strike on Wednesday evening, Wafa has reported. The victims were named as Mahmoud Bassam Rahal, Ahmed Hani Barakat and Muhammad Abdullah Al-Fayed.

A fourth Palestinian suffered severe injuries during the same attack, which occurred on the outskirts of Jenin. Large crowds from Jenin and the camp participated in the funeral procession of the three men, which was attacked by Palestinian Authority security forces.

Shops, businesses and schools across the city remain closed and public transportation services are also suspended.

Eyewitnesses said that Israeli drones targeted the vehicle in which the men were travelling with at least two missiles as it was passing the street opposite Ibn Sina Hospital. Local resident Amir Al-Sabah, 30, had to get out of his own car when it caught fire as a result of the explosion.

Israel has stepped up its armed raids in the occupied West Bank since it began its military offensive against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in October. UN records show that at least 358 people in the West Bank have been killed since then, a quarter of them children.

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