Two Palestinians Killed in Separate Israeli Army and Settler Attacks in West Bank

Two Palestinians have been killed in separate incidents involving Israeli settlers and soldiers in the occupied West Bank, as violence and Israeli settlement expansion continue to intensify.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said 17-year-old Karim Sanad Shalaldeh was fatally shot in the chest during an attack by Israeli settlers in the Khirbet Hamroush area of Hebron. A 70-year-old man was also wounded in the attack.

According to local sources cited by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, large groups of armed Israeli settlers entered the area, opened fire on residents and set Palestinian homes on fire.

In a separate incident in Jenin, 58-year-old Fathi Khazem, a retired colonel in the Palestinian National Security Forces, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a raid on his home.

The Israeli military claimed that Khazem attempted to stab soldiers during the operation, prompting them to open fire.

Palestinian authorities said Israeli forces did not release Khazem’s body to his family for burial and allegedly prevented emergency workers from reaching the house after the shooting.

The Palestinian Red Crescent also reported that a 14-year-old boy was wounded by live ammunition during an Israeli raid near Jenin and was taken to hospital for treatment. Israeli forces reportedly arrested six people during another raid in the city.

Meanwhile, in Qusra, south of Nablus, Israeli settlers have continued to surround three Palestinian homes for 13 consecutive days, reportedly under the protection of Israeli forces.

Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi said residents were being prevented from entering or leaving their homes, while one house had reportedly been seized and converted into a military post. The area has also been declared a closed military zone.

Human Rights Watch recently reported that violence by Israeli settlers, along with the expansion of Israeli settlements, has contributed to the displacement of Palestinians from 107 communities in the occupied West Bank since January 2023.

Several European countries, Canada and Norway have also condemned Israel’s plans to advance a major settlement project in the E1 area, warning that it could further undermine the territorial continuity of the Palestinian territories.

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