Key facts
- Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the West Bank.
- One Palestinian was killed during a settler raid on Hajja village, where residents confronted armed settlers and Israeli troops.
- Another Palestinian stabbed an Israeli settler near Qusra village before being shot and killed by military forces.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the dismantling of unauthorized West Bank settler outposts.
- The order to dismantle outposts follows pressure from the United States to address settler violence.
Violence in the occupied West Bank escalated as Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in separate incidents. In Hajja, a 19-year-old Palestinian was killed and three others wounded when Israeli troops and settlers opened fire on villagers confronting the settlers who had raided the area. In a separate incident near Qusra, a Palestinian stabbed a 20-year-old Israeli settler before being shot and killed by military forces. These events follow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's order to dismantle unauthorized settler outposts, a move reportedly prompted by U.S. pressure to curb settler violence against Palestinians. The outposts, often consisting of prefabricated caravans, are established without official government approval, though some have received retroactive legal status from Netanyahu's right-wing government. The international community, including UN bodies, considers most settlements on territory occupied since 1967 illegal under international law, a view Israel disputes.