By Muhammad Mamman
Three Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded after Israeli settlers attacked a village in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian officials and Israeli military statements.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said the victims were shot during an assault by Israeli settlers in the town of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah. Two of the victims were identified as Thaer Faruq Hamayel, 24, and Farea Jawdat Hamayel, 57, who were reportedly killed by gunfire during the attack. 
Officials said at least seven other Palestinians were injured during the incident, which has further heightened tensions in the already volatile territory. Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the violence, describing it as a “brutal attack on innocent citizens”. 
The Israeli military confirmed that its forces were dispatched to the area after receiving reports that Palestinians were being attacked by Israeli civilians near residential homes. It said two of the victims died from gunshot wounds, while a third reportedly died from suffocation during the clashes. 
Major General Avi Bluth, head of Israel’s Central Command, described the incident as “unacceptable”, stating that authorities would investigate those responsible and that civilians taking the law into their own hands would not be tolerated. 
Rising violence
The killings come amid a surge in violence across the occupied West Bank. Rights groups and Palestinian officials say attacks by Israeli settlers have increased sharply since the outbreak of the war in Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. 
According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the Gaza war, while dozens of Israelis have died in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations during the same period. 
Human rights organisations say many of the incidents occur in rural villages and farming communities, where Palestinians accuse settlers of attempting to force residents off their land through intimidation and violence.
The West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, remains one of the most contested territories in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians seek it as the core of a future independent state, while Israel has continued expanding settlements considered illegal under international law.
