World News
Two Palestinian teenagers killed during confrontation with Israeli settlers and soldiers in West Bank
Local Palestinian officials say the youths were defending livestock from settlers, while the Israeli military says soldiers fired on instigators of a violent disturbance.
The short version
- Funerals were held for Omar al-Nassan, 19, and Khalil Abu Alia, 16, following deadly clashes in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir.
- The al-Mughayyir village council reported the teenagers were killed while preventing Israeli settlers from stealing sheep.
- The Israeli military stated its troops opened fire on key instigators throwing stones while securing the area during livestock retrieval.
- The killings occur amid a broader rise in West Bank settler violence, where the UN reports more than three attacks daily on average this year.
Key facts
- Palestinian officials stated that Omar al-Nassan, 19, and Khalil Abu Alia, 16, were killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers during an incident in al-Mughayyir.[BBC News]
- The Israeli military reported its forces entered the village to provide security for police and a civilian retrieving livestock, opening fire after Palestinians hurled stones at troops.[BBC News]
- United Nations figures show at least 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank this year, with at least 23 deaths occurring during settler attacks.[BBC News]
- Israeli police arrested a 19-year-old settler suspected of participating in an attack on the village of Qusra, representing the first arrest following weeks of attacks there.[BBC News]
- Israeli forces demolished the Masafer Yatta village of Khirbet al-Tabban, which rights group B'Tselem reported displaced 70 residents without advance warning.[BBC News]
What remains uncertain
- It remains disputed whether the fatal shots were fired by Israeli soldiers or civilian settlers.[BBC News]
- Accounts differ regarding the catalyst of the clash, with local officials asserting settlers initiated an attack to steal sheep, while the military asserted troops were protecting civilians retrieving livestock.[BBC News]