Hamas condemned the Palestinian Authority after security forces conducted an arrest operation in the West Bank that led to the accidental death of two children, aged 16 and four, this week.
Hamas cited the incident as a reason to end security coordination with Israel, describing it as a “serious crime” and a “black mark” on the PA’s record, saying the establishment “used force against their own people instead of protecting them”.
Palestinian media, citing the family, reported that PA masked officers waited at a junction for 44-year-old Samer Samara to drive by before opening fire in the direction of his car, where he was driving his children.
It is unclear who Samara was wanted by
After the incident, the PA expressed “deep regret” for the event, saying the two were shot dead during an operation to arrest their father in Tubas.
While the PA confirmed Samara was a wanted individual, it is unclear what his crimes were, though Palestinian reports claimed he had ties to Islamic Jihad and had been arrested by Israeli forces several times.
Samara's family released a statement demanding that he be released immediately and that those responsible for the killings be held accountable.