Israeli soldiers were seen standing guard near the Jit junction, west of Nablus in the northern West Bank, after an incident in which three Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces on Sunday 13 March.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said it was informed by the Palestinian Military Liaison that the Israeli army fired at four Palestinians while inside their vehicle at a checkpoint, killing three of them.

The incident has been described as a targeted assassination by Palestinians but the Israeli military has given a very different account, saying the Palestinians fired at Israeli soldiers, who responded with live fire.

They also claimed assault rifles and a pistol were recovered from the Palestinians they shot, who have yet to be identified.

Three Palestinian workers in a vehicle passing the checkpoint when the incident happened are reported to have sustained injuries from shrapnel from bullets fired at the shot Palestinians.

Witnesses in the village adjacent to the checkpoint told reporters that shortly after the shooting, Israeli soldiers stormed shops and seized the recordings of surveillance cameras, saying this was an attempt to cover up their crime.

The latest shooting brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the start of the year to 84, including 15 children and an elderly woman, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: Nablus - 12 March 2023. Israeli soldiers stand guard near the Jit junction west of Nablus in the northern West Bank.

STORYLINE:

Three Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli occupation forces this morning near the Jit junction west of Nablus in the northern West Bank, according to the Ministry of Health.

MoH said it was informed by the Palestinian Military Liaison that the Israeli army fired at four Palestinians while inside their vehicle at the checkpoint, killing them in a targeted assassination.

The three Palestinian martyrs are yet to be identified.

During the brutal Israeli shooting, three Palestinian workers in a vehicle passing by the checkpoint sustained injuries from the shrapnel of the Israeli bullets fired at the first three, witnesses said.

Witnesses in the village adjacent to the checkpoint told reporters that shortly after their tragic shooting, Israeli soldiers stormed shops and sized the recordings of surveillance cameras to keep their crime untold.

The latest Israeli crime brings up the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year to 84, including 15 children and an elderly woman, according to the Ministry.

Footage by /APA