Norwegian Father: Killed "Hamas Leader" is My Son

The Israeli military has struck for the third day in a row against targets on the occupied West Bank. Israel claims that a local Hamas leader – reportedly a Norwegian citizen according to media reports – has been killed. The family in Norway denies that he was a terrorist.

» Updated: September 26 2024

» Published: August 30 2024

Norwegian Father: Killed "Hamas Leader" is My Son
Photo: Majdi Mohammed/AP/TT

Three people have been killed in a drone attack on a "terrorist cell" in Jenin on the West Bank, according to Israel's military (IDF). According to the military, all the deceased belong to Hamas, including one who is said to be a local leader of the Islamist movement.

However, this is denied by the family of 31-year-old Wesam Khazem in Norway, writes newspaper VG. The family in Skien in southern Norway was reached by the news of the death through acquaintances who saw the son's name and picture in news broadcasts.

My son was no terrorist. He was an ordinary person who worked for a construction company. He tried to get his wife to Norway but was rejected three times. Therefore, he moved back to the West Bank, says father Ayman Zeidan Khazem to VG.

According to the newspaper's information, he lived on the West Bank with his wife and two daughters.

Money and weapons

According to Israel, he had both carried out and coordinated shootings and bombings against Israelis. Khazem was shot dead in his car, according to the military. Weapons, money, and explosives were found in the car, according to pictures released by IDF.

VG has contacted Israel's military and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify the matter.

Israel's military launched the ongoing military operation on the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, with the stated aim of combating Hamas and the Islamic Jihad's local branches. Since then, 19 Palestinians are said to have been killed, a figure confirmed by both sides in the conflict.

On Friday, an AFP journalist on the spot heard loud explosions from a refugee camp in Jenin, at the same time as thick smoke was seen rising towards the sky.

UN warns

The operation is the largest on the West Bank in a long time, said Anders Persson, a political scientist at Linnaeus University and expert on the Israel-Palestine conflict, to TT on Thursday.

The death toll is rising and we see Israel using more powerful weapons than before, he said.

The UN warns that the raids on the West Bank are fueling an already explosive situation and is pressing Israel to end its military operation. According to sources, the operation will continue for several more days.

According to the Palestinian Health Department, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed on the West Bank since the war between Israel and the terrorist-listed Hamas broke out in October last year.

Named after its location west of the Jordan River. Has an area of 5,860 square kilometers - equivalent to about three Lake Vättern. The West Bank is thus 16 times larger than the Gaza Strip.

Approximately three million Palestinians live on the West Bank, but also several hundred thousand Israeli settlers.

The 1990s Oslo Accords divide the West Bank into three areas: A, B, and C. In A and B, which together make up about 40 percent of the area, the Palestinians have some self-determination. In C, Israel has control.

According to the Oslo Accords, the Palestinians were to gradually gain more power and control, even in area C. But that has not happened, and instead, Israel has expanded its domains, built new settlements, roads, and barriers.

Israel's grip on the West Bank began with the occupation of the area during the Six-Day War in 1967. Since then, it has been under military occupation pending a final peace agreement. But there are also strong right-wing forces in Israel who believe that the country has a right to large parts of or the entire West Bank.

The Palestinian self-government on the West Bank is led by the secular party Fatah.

Tags

TTT
By TT - Translated and adapted by Sweden Herald under license from TT

More news

USA to Relocate 1,000 Troops
1 MIN READ

USA to Relocate 1,000 Troops from Syria in Coming Months

Genre image
1 MIN READ

Congo River Boat Fire Leaves 148 Dead, Over 100 Still Missing

Trump Proposes New Rules for
2 MIN READ

Trump Proposes New Rules for Federal Employees to Enforce His Policies

Kyoto Bus Driver Loses Pension
1 MIN READ

Kyoto Bus Driver Loses Pension After Ticket Theft Ruling

Asean Calls on Myanmar Junta
1 MIN READ

Asean Calls on Myanmar Junta to Honor Ceasefire After Earthquake

Judge Blocks Trump's Plan to
1 MIN READ

Judge Blocks Trump's Plan to Cut CFPB Workforce

Australian Fighter for Ukraine Faces
1 MIN READ

Australian Fighter for Ukraine Faces Mercenary Charges in Luhansk

Venice Doubles Tourist Day-Trip Fee
2 MIN READ

Venice Doubles Tourist Day-Trip Fee for Non-Overnight Visitors

Trials Begin for Nearly 200
2 MIN READ

Trials Begin for Nearly 200 Critics of Turkish Regime Protests

Iran Nuclear Talks in Rome
2 MIN READ

Iran Nuclear Talks in Rome Face Doubts and Threats

Vance Expresses Cautious Optimism on
2 MIN READ

Vance Expresses Cautious Optimism on Ukraine Peace Talks in Europe

Ukraine Receives Remains of Over
1 MIN READ

Ukraine Receives Remains of Over 900 Fallen Soldiers

Veterans and Reservists Rally to
2 MIN READ

Veterans and Reservists Rally to End Gaza Conflict

EU Expansion: Hungary's Block Delays
3 MIN READ

EU Expansion: Hungary's Block Delays Ukraine and Moldova Membership

New Russian Attacks on Ukraine
2 MIN READ

New Russian Attacks on Ukraine Leave 11 Dead, Over 100 Injured

China Refutes Claims of Supplying
1 MIN READ

China Refutes Claims of Supplying Weapons to Russia

Severe Weather in Italy Claims
2 MIN READ

Severe Weather in Italy Claims Three Lives, Triggers State of Emergency

Israel's Blockade Leaves Gaza Residents
3 MIN READ

Israel's Blockade Leaves Gaza Residents Facing Severe Hunger Crisis

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Leave
1 MIN READ

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Leave 15 Dead, Including Family in Khan Yunis

US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill
2 MIN READ

US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill 74, Injure 171, Houthi Movement Reports

Trump Plans UK Visit to
1 MIN READ

Trump Plans UK Visit to Meet King Charles This Autumn

Luigi Mangione Faces Federal Murder
1 MIN READ

Luigi Mangione Faces Federal Murder Charges in CEO's Death

Two Killed, Five Injured in
1 MIN READ

Two Killed, Five Injured in Florida State University Shooting

Red Cross Building in Gaza
1 MIN READ

Red Cross Building in Gaza Damaged by Explosion, ICRC Expresses Outrage

Ukraine Talks to Continue in
2 MIN READ

Ukraine Talks to Continue in London Next Week Following Paris Meeting

USA and Ukraine Set to
1 MIN READ

USA and Ukraine Set to Finalize Mineral Agreement Next Thursday

Myanmar Seeks Regional Aid After
1 MIN READ

Myanmar Seeks Regional Aid After Devastating Earthquake

Cable Car Accident in Italy
1 MIN READ

Cable Car Accident in Italy Claims Four Lives Near Naples

Trump Seeks to Narrow Species
1 MIN READ

Trump Seeks to Narrow Species Protection Law, Sparking Criticism

Zelensky Accuses China of Supplying
1 MIN READ

Zelensky Accuses China of Supplying Weapons to Russia

Aid Groups Warn of Imminent
1 MIN READ

Aid Groups Warn of Imminent Collapse in Gaza Due to Blockade

Russia Cautions Germany on Sending
1 MIN READ

Russia Cautions Germany on Sending Taurus Robots to Ukraine

Haiti's Security Crisis Worsens as
1 MIN READ

Haiti's Security Crisis Worsens as Violence Spreads, Warns HRW

Russia Removes Terrorist Label from
1 MIN READ

Russia Removes Terrorist Label from Taliban

Genre image
1 MIN READ

57 Civilians Killed in al-Fashir Clashes Between Army and Paramilitaries

Russian Military Officer Sentenced to
1 MIN READ

Russian Military Officer Sentenced to Prison for Corruption