Jana Majdi Zakarneh, 16, was shot and killed while standing on the roof of her home during an Israeli military raid on Jenin

On December 12, 2022, Israeli forces killed Jana Majdi Zakarneh, a young girl who was filming an ongoing raid by the Israeli military in the city of Jenin in the West Bank. The incident has sparked outrage among Palestinians and human rights organizations, who have condemned the Israeli military’s use of excessive force against civilians.

According to witnesses, Zakarneh, who was only 16 years old, was standing on the rooftop of her family’s home, filming the raid with her smartphone. She was unarmed and posed no threat to the soldiers, yet one of them fired a single shot at her, striking her in the chest and killing her instantly.

The Palestinian Authority has condemned the killing of Zakarneh, calling it “a blatant violation of human rights” and demanding that the international community hold the Israeli government accountable for its actions. The Israeli military, however, has defended the soldier’s actions, saying that he believed Zakarneh posed a threat

On December 12, 2022, Israeli forces killed Jana Majdi Zakarneh, a young girl who was filming an ongoing raid by the Israeli military in the city of Jenin in the West Bank. The incident has sparked outrage among Palestinians and human rights organizations, who have condemned the Israeli military’s use of excessive force against civilians.

According to witnesses, Zakarneh, who was only 16 years old, was standing on the rooftop of her family’s home, filming the raid with her smartphone. She was unarmed and posed no threat to the soldiers, yet one of them fired a single shot at her, striking her in the chest and killing her instantly.

The Palestinian Authority has condemned the killing of Zakarneh, calling it “a blatant violation of human rights” and demanding that the international community hold the Israeli government accountable for its actions. The Israeli military, however, has defended the soldier’s actions, saying that he believed Zakarneh posed a threat.

Zakarneh is one of more than 50 Palestinian children killed by Israel this year in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip. In addition, she is one of more than 215 Palestinians who have died in 2022, including 17 women.

Since last year, tensions have been rising on the ground. In addition to an increase in armed Palestinian attacks and settler violence against Palestinians, Israeli military raids and killings in Palestinian cities and villages are happening almost daily.
The northern West Bank cities of Nablus and Jenin, where Palestinian armed resistance is escalating, have been the focus of Israeli operations in particular. In raids on Ramallah and Jenin on Thursday, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including 15-year-old Diaa Rimawi.

The killing of Zakarneh has once again highlighted the ongoing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank. While the Israeli government claims that its raids are necessary to maintain security, many Palestinians view them as acts of aggression and oppression. The situation remains volatile and could escalate further unless a resolution is found.