Israel promotes officer whose unit shot 'unarmed Palestinians' in Jenin
- By Kumail Shah -
- Dec 01, 2025
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has promoted the officer whose unit carried out a “cold-blooded execution” of two unarmed Palestinians in Jenin, the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli media outlet Haaretz on Sunday.
The commander of a police unit, identified only as “K,” was personally informed of his promotion to deputy commissioner by the far-right Jewish Power Party leader and minister, Ben-Gvir, during a visit to the unit’s base.
According to a Haaretz report, this decision to promote the commander came just one day after a video was released showing members of his unit firing on two Palestinians who had their hands raised.
The police commander promotion was unusual, as unit commanders in the police typically hold a lower rank.
Earlier, footage from Palestine National TV showed Israeli soldiers executing two detained Palestinians in cold blood during a raid in Jenin, in the northern occupied West Bank, on Thursday.
Their hands were raised, and they posed no threat, yet Israeli soldiers killed them anyway.
Israeli forces were accused by the Palestinian Authority (PA) of committing “brutal” field executions and a “war crime” following the recent killings.
The Israeli military and police, following the fatal shooting of the men, stated they were wanted and linked to a terror network, adding that the incident is under review.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has given his full backing to the officers involved in the incident.
On his X account, Ben-Gvir, the far-right minister, wrote, “The fighters acted exactly as expected of them.”
The video shows two Palestinian men leaving a building entrance with their hands up. Several Israeli border guards surround them. They then kneel on the ground. One of them raises his t-shirt, seemingly to show that he is not armed.
After a moment, they appear to be ordered to head back into the building, but the Border Police then open fire and instantly gun them down.