Fatal Shooting Near West Bank School
Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school in the occupied West Bank, according to witnesses and local officials. The incident occurred amid increasing attacks on education in the territory.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the victims as Aws al-Naasan, 14, and Jihad Abu Naim, 32. The attack took place in the village of al-Mughayyir and also resulted in three others being wounded. The head of the local council told that Israeli settlers first targeted students and then fired at others who arrived at the scene. Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers followed the settlers.
Eyewitness Accounts and Video Evidence
Footage reviewed by shows a settler dressed in military fatigues, identified by activists as a known assailant in previous village attacks, carrying a rifle. The settler advanced slowly toward al-Mughayyir, crouched, and fired at least eight rounds in the direction of the school.
Videos captured outside the school show blood splattered on the street as gunshots are heard in the distance. Men and boys of various ages are seen running and calling for help while injured children and adults, including a man with a bloodied, exposed torso, are carried away.
One video shows the moment Aws, a ninth-grade student, was shot and killed. His friends are seen rushing to him and carrying his body away.
The second victim, Abu Naim, was a parent at the school who lived nearby. According to the school’s headteacher, Abu-Assaf, Abu Naim rushed to the school after hearing gunfire and was shot.
Local Perspectives and Context
Kathem al-Haj Ahmed, 57, a witness, told that the settlers arrived first and attacked the village school. Palestinians in the West Bank frequently face unprovoked attacks by Israeli settlers.
“This is our reality in al-Mughayyer village; they aim to displace us, and both the army and the settlers are exchanging roles among them,”
he said.
Israeli Military Response and Investigation
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that troops were deployed to al-Mughayyir following reports of stones being thrown at an Israeli vehicle carrying civilians. A reservist exited the vehicle and opened fire at what the military described as "suspects." The IDF said soldiers later intervened to break up a violent clash.
A military source told that the reservist involved has been suspended from reserve duty pending a criminal investigation by military police, and his weapon has been confiscated.
Broader Pattern of Violence and Settler Activity
Al-Mughayyir, located approximately 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Ramallah, is a village that residents say experiences near-daily settler attacks. Human rights groups have described the ongoing violence as a campaign by Israeli settlers and soldiers.
In a separate incident on Monday, activists reported that settlers used a bulldozer to demolish a school in Hammamat al-Maleh, near Tayasir in the northern Jordan Valley.
Additionally, community leaders reported that settlers from the Karmiel settlement placed razor wire near Umm al-Khair in the South Hebron Hills, blocking the route children use to reach school. Khaleel Alhathaleen, head of Umm al-Khair’s village council, stated that the closure obstructed students’ movement and disrupted their education.
After more than 40 days of school closures during the US-Israel war on Iran, children in Umm al-Khair returned last week to find settlers had fenced off the path to their school. When children attempted to pass, residents reported they were attacked, leaving many too frightened to return.
Settlement Expansion and Casualty Statistics
West Bank settlement expansion has accelerated under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, with approximately 700,000 settlers now living among about 2.7 million Palestinians.
The Palestinian health ministry reports that since 7 October 2023, 1,152 Palestinians, including 239 children, have been killed in the West Bank, with more than 11,800 injured.
Israel has not prosecuted its citizens for killing Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories since the start of this decade, according to human rights organizations.
Related Violence in Gaza
On Tuesday, local media reported that 19 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, including four near Khan Younis.
