Balad, the Arab party that was recently greenlit by Israel's High Court of Justice to run in November's election, mourned the death of Palestinian terrorist Dr. Abdallah Abu al-Teen in a Facebook post on Friday.
Al-Teen, who was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in Jenin on Friday, was a medical professional responsible for licensing at the Palestinian Health Ministry.
However, he was also revealed to have been a militant by the armed wing of the Fatah movement Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, in which the 43-year-old was a commander.
In the social media post, the Knesset faction quoted from an Arabic poem, writing that "we will suffer through death and you through horror...be ashamed, unprecedented occupiers."
"May god have mercy on you," the post added.
During the Jenin operation, explosives were thrown and Palestinian gunmen opened heavy fire toward the forces who returned “accurate shots toward armed men identified in the area.” Shortly after being rushed to a hospital, al Teen succumbed to his wounds.
Secretary of the Fatah movement in the Jenin Province, Atta Abu Armila, told the Palestinian Quds News Agency that al Teen was killed while "fighting side by side with the resistance.”
Balad celebrates terror after High Court approval
The inclusion of Balad, headed by MK Sami Abou Shehadeh, in Israel's Knesset has been heavily disputed by right-wing politicians on the Central Election Committee, which earlier in the election season disqualified the Arab faction from running after it split from the Joint List to run independently.
However, the High Court approved Balad's candidacy after the faction appealed the original ruling. According to Israel's top court, Balad has not raised a law undermining Israel’s Jewishness since 2018.