Israeli army kills two Palestinian teenagers in West Bank village
Quick Look
- Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian teenagers, Omar Mohammad Naji al-Nassan (19) and Khalil Rasem Khalil Shahada (16), in Al-Mughayyir village near Ramallah after settlers allegedly tried to steal sheep and a violent riot erupted.
- The army said it fired at key instigators during clashes, while Palestinian officials reported live fire wounds to the neck and back.
- The incident adds to rising West Bank violence since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967. Violence has surged since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Gaza war, with increased settler attacks on Palestinians and frequent clashes involving Israeli forces.
The Israeli army killed two teenagers in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday night, the Palestinian health ministry said, while the army said it opened fire during a "violent riot".
Omar Mohammad Naji al-Nassan, 19, and Khalil Rasem Khalil Shahada, 16, were shot dead by the Israeli army in the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah in the central West Bank, the ministry said.
Amin Abu Alia, the head of the Al-Mughayyir village council, told AFP "Israeli settlers... tried to steal sheep from two homes" in the village, and that following a confrontation, "the Israeli army imposed a siege on the village before raiding its centre".
He said the Israeli forces placed snipers inside buildings, who "opened live fire on residents who tried to confront the settlers".
The Israeli army meanwhile said it had "secured the entrance" to the village "in order to facilitate the return of livestock belonging to Israeli civilians that had been found in the area of the village".
"During the forces' activity in the area, a violent riot broke out, during which terrorists hurled cinder blocks and stones at the forces," the army said.
"The forces responded by firing at key instigators in order to remove the threat," it said, adding that the management of the incident was under review.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that the two teenagers were critically wounded by live fire during clashes, Nassan in the neck and Shahada in the back, and were transferred to two hospitals in Ramallah, where doctors pronounced them dead.
AFP footage filmed inside the Ramallah medical centre showed mourners gathering around one of the bodies shrouded in a Palestinian flag.
The mourners carried the remains outside the hospital and chanted "with our souls and our blood, we will sacrifice ourselves for you, martyr. We were created to live in freedom."
The West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Attacks by settlers on Palestinians have increased and become almost daily. At least 1,105 Palestinians, including a number of militants, have been killed by fire from Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian official figures.
At least 48 Israelis, both civilians and security forces, have been killed in the West Bank in attacks carried out by Palestinians or during clashes with Israeli forces, according to Israeli official figures.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Palestinian Authority will demand an international investigation into the killings.
Likely · Within days
Israeli military will review the incident internally but unlikely to prosecute soldiers involved.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific actions did the teenagers take during the confrontation?
- Will there be an independent investigation into the use of live fire?
- How will the Palestinian Authority respond to this incident?
- Are the settlers involved in the alleged sheep theft being held accountable?
