In a rare daytime operation allegedly to arrest three wanted militants, Israeli forces entered the Palestinian city of Nablus in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, killing at least 11 Palestinians and injuring 102 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
At least three of those killed were fighters, while at least another three were civilians, including a 72-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy. Palestinian sources said two of the deceased fighters were commanders in Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
Not even two months into the new year, and Israel has already committed two massacres against the Palestinian people. This massacre was even more heinous than the one in Jenin, as Israeli forces breached Nablus — one of the larger Palestinian cities — during the day when the old city was packed with civilians. Emboldened by international silence after killing more Palestinians last year than in any other calendar year since the Second Intifada, the occupation is becoming even more violent.
Though it's truly tragic when civilians die in the crossfire, the reality is they would still be alive if Palestinian terrorists chose not to hide among the civilian population. Israeli forces were fired upon before they engaged, and the fighters killed launched attacks against civilians. Ultimately, the media will uncritically blame Israel, but the truth is that the deadliest thing for Palestinians is Palestinian terrorism.