Key facts
- Two Palestinian teenagers, Omar Muhammad Na’san (19) and Khalil Rasem Shahada (16), were killed in Al-Mughayyir village, West Bank.
- Palestinian officials and activists allege the teens were killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers during an attempt to steal sheep.
- The Israeli army reportedly provided protection to settlers during the attack.
- Human rights organizations report a significant increase in settler violence in the West Bank, with 2026 potentially being a record year.
- Human Rights Watch stated that Israeli authorities provide financial, material, and legal support to settlers involved in attacks.
Two Palestinian teenagers, Omar Muhammad Na’san, 19, and Khalil Rasem Shahada, 16, were killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir on Wednesday evening. The killings occurred during a settler attack aimed at stealing livestock, according to local officials and activists.
Marzouq Abu Na’im, a member of the village council, told Middle East Eye that armed settlers attacked a house to steal sheep. He stated that the Israeli army then entered the village to protect the settlers and took up positions on the roof of the targeted house.
Na’san was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper positioned on the roof after he went outside to observe the situation. Shahada was shot by soldiers shortly after emerging from his house on the opposite side upon hearing residents' screams. Both bled out while paramedics were prevented from reaching them, and they died before they could be transported.
Human rights organizations have issued warnings about escalating settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, noting that 2026 is on track to be a record year for such violence. A report by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission detailed over 2,000 attacks in August alone, carried out by both soldiers and settlers, resulting in significant damage to agricultural land and displacement of Palestinians.
Human Rights Watch accused Israeli authorities of failing to protect Palestinians from settler violence and of providing financial, material, and legal support to the settlers. The UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process described the situation as reaching a "breaking point," with settler violence leading to displacement and casualties.
Palestinian officials and activists argue that international condemnations are insufficient and call for concrete legal action against the Israeli government and settlers. Salah Khawaja, director of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission office, stated that successive Israeli governments have prioritized settlement activity, with the current government escalating these efforts and defying the international system.