Israeli forces’ shooting of two unarmed Palestinian men in Gaza before bulldozing their bodies is a “heinous crime”, Hamas said in a statement.

As we previously reported, the two Palestinian men, shot at close range near the Nabulsi Roundabout southwest of Gaza City, were trying to return to their homes in the north. They were shot despite holding up pieces of white cloth as they walked – the international sign of surrender – according to footage obtained by Al Jazeera.

“It is further evidence of the scale of fascism and criminality that governs Zionist behavior, in the context of the brutal war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip,” the statement added.

Hamas appealed to the UN and the International Criminal Court to “take urgent action to stop the systematic killing of our people” and hold accountable the “war criminals” responsible for crimes against “defenseless civilians”.