Retaliation against families of 2 Palestinian police force killed in Bethlehem

On July 11, 2025, Thursday evening, South of Bethlehem, two Palestinian young men were shot and killed near the Gush Etzion colonial bloc, south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, following an alleged stabbing and shooting attack that killed an Israeli settler/security guard.

Both Palestinians were members of the Palestinian police force, according to Arab 48 News. Their bodies were confiscated by the Israeli army.

Names of the martyrs:

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the deaths of the two Palestinians:

• Mahmoud Yousef Mohammad Abed, 23, from Halhul, north of Hebron

• Malek Ismail Abdul Jabbar Salem, 23, from Bizzariya, northwest of Nablus

Israeli sources and medias claim :

The two men allegedly stabbed an Israeli security guard outside a supermarket. Seized his weapon. Engaged in a gunfight with an off-duty Israeli soldier and an armed settler who ultimately killed them. The Israeli army described the incident as a “combined stabbing and shooting attack”, in which an Israeli settler, identified as Shalev Zvuluny, 22, was killed.

Military Raids and Repression Following the Incident:

In Halhul (Mahmoud Abed’s hometown):

Israeli forces stormed the town on Thursday evening. They closed all town entrances, raided the family home, and abducted Mahmoud’s father, Youssef Abed. The raid involved the use of concussion grenades and tear gas.

In Bizzariya (Malek Salem’s hometown):

Israeli forces invaded the village, imposed a curfew, and raided multiple homes. Tayseer Farasin, head of the village council, reported that homes were stormed and ransacked, including the Salem family’s home. Family members were subjected to field interrogation. Some residents were assaulted during the raids.