Key facts
- Three Palestinians were killed in Abu Falah, near Ramallah, by Israeli settlers and soldiers.
- Two of the victims were shot in the head, and a third died from inhaling tear gas.
- The violence has escalated in the occupied West Bank amid international focus on the regional war with Iran.
- Rights groups accuse Israel of exploiting the war atmosphere to intensify violence and forced displacement.
- The Israeli military condemned the Abu Falah incident and stated those responsible would be brought to justice.
Three Palestinians were killed in a village near Ramallah on Saturday night during a clash with Israeli settlers and soldiers, marking the third deadly attack in a week of escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. The killings occurred in Abu Falah, where residents attempted to stop masked Israelis from vandalizing olive trees. Dozens of armed settlers later descended on the town, killing Thaer Faruq Hamayel, 30, and Fara Jawdat Hamayel, 57, both shot in the head. Muhammad Hassan, 54, died after inhaling military-grade tear gas fired by Israeli security forces who arrived later.
The violence has surged as international attention is diverted by a regional war with Iran. Rights groups, including B’tselem and Yesh Din, accuse Israeli authorities of failing to prosecute settlers and of deepening ethnic cleansing under the cover of the ongoing conflict. Settlers have been documented grazing livestock in Palestinian fields, destroying crops, stealing livestock, and vandalizing property.
Earlier in the week, two brothers, Muhammad Taha Muammar, 52, and Fahim Taha Muammar, 48, were killed when they tried to prevent settlers from damaging olive trees in Qaryut. In another incident, settlers drove livestock into Palestinian land in Wadi a-Rakhim, south of Hebron Hills, and opened fire, killing Amir Muhammad Shanaran, 28.
Israeli military commander Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth described the Abu Falah shootings as an "unacceptable incident" and stated there would be "zero tolerance" for civilians taking the law into their own hands, promising those responsible would be brought to justice. The military also reported confiscating the weapon of a reservist involved in a Monday shooting and stated it was treating the attack with "utmost severity."
Palestinians and rights groups argue that Israeli authorities routinely fail to hold settlers accountable. The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry accused Israel of exploiting the war atmosphere and lack of international attention to intensify intimidation and forced displacement. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that checkpoint and gate closures imposed due to the war are creating obstacles for first responders.