A 19-year-old Palestinian was killed and four others injured after Israeli settlers, reportedly backed by Israeli forces, opened fire on the village of Mukhmas in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday evening.
The deceased was identified as Nasrallah Abu Siyam. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa described the incident as the first reported killing of a Palestinian by Israeli settler gunfire this year.
Attack on Mukhmas village
According to local reports, armed settlers stormed Mukhmas, located northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, firing live ammunition and stealing dozens of sheep belonging to Palestinian residents. Four people sustained injuries during the assault.
The Jerusalem governorate condemned the killing, calling it a “fully-fledged crime” allegedly carried out under the protection of Israeli forces.
Rising tensions and displacement
Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, head of the Palestinian Authority’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, described the attack as part of what he termed a “dangerous escalation” of violence in the occupied territory.
Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicates that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since 2023, with thousands displaced amid escalating tensions.
Recent reports also highlight increased settlement expansion and land designation measures in parts of the West Bank, drawing international criticism and raising concerns over further instability.
Broader regional concerns
The incident comes amid heightened military operations across the West Bank, including raids, demolitions and displacement in several areas.
The killing has intensified calls from Palestinian officials for international protection for civilian communities. Israeli authorities have not immediately commented on the specific allegations surrounding the Mukhmas incident.
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