Violence erupted in a Palestinian town in the West Bank as dozens of Israeli settlers launched an attack, leading to a confrontation that left three Palestinians dead at the hands of Israeli forces. Amid a rising tide of violence marked by frequent confrontations between settlers and Palestinians, a separate incident in the northern West Bank town of Al-Yamoun resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, three Palestinians were killed and seven others injured during the unrest in Kafr Malik, located north-east of Ramallah. The Israeli military reported that settlers set fire to property, prompting military and police forces to respond after violence escalated with stone-throwing exchanges. The military’s statement claimed that some Palestinians fired shots and threw rocks at the forces, who then returned fire. In total, five Israeli individuals were arrested, and one Israeli officer sustained minor injuries.
Video footage purportedly showing the incidents indicated that at least two vehicles were set ablaze, although Reuters could not independently confirm this.
In response to the violence, Hussein al-Sheikh, the deputy to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expressed concerns on social media platform X, stating, “The government of Israel, with its behaviour and decisions, is pushing the region to explode. We call on the international community to intervene urgently to protect our Palestinian people.”
Earlier that same day, a Palestinian boy named Rayan Tamer Houshiyeh was reportedly shot dead by Israeli soldiers during a raid on Al-Yamoun, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The health ministry confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound to the neck.
This incident in Al-Yamoun marked the second reported death of a teenager in the West Bank within just two days. On Monday, the health ministry revealed that a 13-year-old, identified as Ammar Hamayel, was killed by Israeli fire in Kafr Malik. Additionally, the army acknowledged having killed a 14-year-old in a separate incident in Sinjil earlier this month.
Moreover, in April, an American citizen was killed in the nearby town of Turmus Ayya when an Israeli settler opened fire, as reported by the town’s mayor, Adeeb Lafi, who noted that Omar Mohammad Rabea, 14, was struck along with two other teenagers. The Israeli military framed this incident as involving the action against a “terrorist” who was allegedly throwing rocks at cars.
Since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank began in 1967, violence has escalated significantly, particularly following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing Gaza conflict. The Palestinian health ministry has reported that at least 941 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers since that date, many of whom were militants. During the same timeframe, Israeli figures indicate that at least 35 Israelis have died as a result of Palestinian attacks or during military operations.