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:

» Published:

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

Share this article

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

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Spain to Support ICC's Gaza War Crimes Investigation

Spain to Support ICC's Gaza War Crimes Investigation

Macron Sues to Disprove Rumors About Wife's Gender in US Court

Macron Sues to Disprove Rumors About Wife's Gender in US Court

Trump Meets UK Prime Minister Starmer After Royal Reception

Trump Meets UK Prime Minister Starmer After Royal Reception

Argentinians Celebrate as Congress Rejects Milei's Budget Veto

Argentinians Celebrate as Congress Rejects Milei's Budget Veto

Three Police Officers Killed in Pennsylvania Shooting; Suspect Dead

Three Police Officers Killed in Pennsylvania Shooting; Suspect Dead

Four-Year-Old Omar's Heartbreak After Fleeing Gaza: Who Will I Play With Now?

Four-Year-Old Omar's Heartbreak After Fleeing Gaza: Who Will I Play With Now?

Judge Orders Deportation of Activist Mahmoud Khalil

Judge Orders Deportation of Activist Mahmoud Khalil

Ukraine Anticipates Increased Arms Fund for Weapon Purchases

Ukraine Anticipates Increased Arms Fund for Weapon Purchases

Trump Calls Antifa a Terrorist Organization

Trump Calls Antifa a Terrorist Organization

Tyler Robinson Surrenders to Avoid SWAT Arrest in Charlie Kirk Case

Tyler Robinson Surrenders to Avoid SWAT Arrest in Charlie Kirk Case

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Sign Mutual Defense Agreement

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Sign Mutual Defense Agreement

Trump's Historic Second State Visit to Windsor Castle

Trump's Historic Second State Visit to Windsor Castle

Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza, Urges US Action

Bernie Sanders Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza, Urges US Action

IDF Expands Cooperation with Gaza Militias Amid Control Concerns

IDF Expands Cooperation with Gaza Militias Amid Control Concerns

Thousands Protest Trump Visit in London Urging Government to Show Backbone

Thousands Protest Trump Visit in London Urging Government to Show Backbone

50 Sudanese Refugees Die in Libya Boat Fire

50 Sudanese Refugees Die in Libya Boat Fire

Lebanon Military Seizes 64 Million Captagon Tablets in Major Raid

Lebanon Military Seizes 64 Million Captagon Tablets in Major Raid

Gaza Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 65,000

Gaza Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 65,000

EU Eases Proposed Cider Juice Content Regulations

EU Eases Proposed Cider Juice Content Regulations

Spain Arrests 19 for Torture and Murder on Migrant Boat

Spain Arrests 19 for Torture and Murder on Migrant Boat