Two Palestinians, one being a 14-year-old boy, lost their lives in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday due to gunfire from Israeli settlers and soldiers, as reported by witnesses. Similarly, in Gaza, health officials confirmed two Palestinian casualties from Israeli strikes.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health disclosed that Aws al-Naasan, aged 14, and Jihad Abu Naim, aged 32, were killed during an attack by settlers in the village of al-Mughayyir, resulting in the injury of three others. Amin Abu Ulaya, the head of the local council, recounted that settlers and soldiers entered the village and fired upon a school, targeting students initially and later others who arrived at the scene.
The Israeli military stated that forces were dispatched to the al-Mughayyir region following reports of stones being hurled at an Israeli vehicle transporting civilians and a reserve soldier. Subsequently, the soldier disembarked and opened fire at individuals deemed as “suspects” in the vicinity. Upon their arrival, soldiers intervened to quell what the military described as a violent altercation.
The military acknowledged allegations of two Palestinian fatalities and multiple injuries, emphasizing that an investigation into the incident was underway. Abu Ulaya expressed dismay, citing the tragic deaths of a student and another individual amid scenes of chaos as parents hurried to locate their children in the village.
The shooting incident in al-Mughayyir, situated approximately 25 kilometers north of Ramallah, marks the latest episode in a series of assaults on Palestinians by Israeli settlers and soldiers, as highlighted by human rights organizations. Resident Kathem Al-Haj-Ahmed, 57, recounted the settlers’ initial aggression on the village school, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by the community in al-Mughayyer.
The village has been a focal point of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, with numerous reported attacks in 2025, including fatal shootings, arson, and vandalism. The primary road leading to al-Mughayyir has frequently been obstructed by a military checkpoint, leading to restricted access for residents to their agricultural lands and olive groves.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal by the United Nations and most nations, while Palestinians aspire for the West Bank to be part of a future independent state. The expansion of West Bank settlements has surged under the current right-wing Israeli administration, with approximately 700,000 Jewish settlers currently residing alongside about 2.7 million Palestinians in the region.
Notably, much of the village’s groves were destroyed during an Israeli army incursion last summer following an alleged shooting incident by a Palestinian gunman targeting Israeli settlers near the village. Presently, eight settler outposts encircle al-Mughayyir, including Adei Ad, which was officially sanctioned by Israel’s government in December.
Al-Naasan and Abu Naim join the list of Palestinians who have tragically lost their lives this year in the occupied West Bank, where the death toll from Israeli settlers has surpassed that of the previous year. Data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reveals that 240 Palestinians perished in the territory last year, predominantly at the hands of Israel’s military, with a minority of deaths attributed to settlers.