Israeli settlers shot dead two Palestinians, including a teenager, in the West Bank amid conflicting accounts of the violent confrontation.
RAMALLAH: Israeli settler gunfire killed two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the deaths of Aws Hamdi Al-Naasan and Jihad Marzouq Abu Naim in Al-Mughayyir village.
Three other people were injured in the incident. Distraught relatives gathered around their bodies at a Ramallah hospital morgue.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the circumstances. It stated soldiers were dispatched after a report of rock throwing at an Israeli vehicle.
Civilians in the vehicle, including a reserve soldier, exited and opened fire at suspects. Troops then acted to disperse what they called a violent confrontation.
Al-Mughayyir’s mayor, Amin Abu Alia, said the shooting occurred near a boys’ school. He asserted settlers arrived with intent to cause harm in an area with no Israeli roads or settlements.
A witness claimed settlers attacked the school and fired live ammunition. He said the army joined the shooting as villagers tried to evacuate students.
The office of Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa posted a photo of the slain teenager online. It asked how many more lives must be lost before the violence ends.
Dozens of men chanted violent anti-Jewish slogans as they carried the bodies from the hospital. The recent surge in settler attacks has drawn criticism from Israel’s own opposition.
Opposition figures accuse the government of turning a blind eye to acts of “Jewish terrorism”. Violence in the West Bank has risen sharply since the Gaza war began.
According to an AFP tally, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 1,064 Palestinians there since October 2023. Official Israeli figures report at least 46 Israeli deaths in the same period.
