Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have been involved in a deadly clash resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians, as confirmed by Palestinian officials amidst a weekend marked by escalating violence across the region.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, the victims of the attack near Nablus have been identified as Abdulrahman Maher Bani Fadel, 30, and Mohammed Ashraf Bani Jame, 21, as reported by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Eyewitnesses, including Salah Bani Jaber, mayor of Aqraba, a town near Nablus, recounted Monday’s settler attack. They reported that approximately 50 settlers, many of whom were armed, assaulted members of the local community.
“The settlers assaulted residents and fired at people in the town leading to the death of two citizens,” Mayor Jaber stated, noting that “the occupation army is still holding the bodies.” He further highlighted the presence of Israeli soldiers at the scene who, according to him, remained passive bystanders during the settlers’ assault.
Efforts to provide medical assistance were hampered as the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that soldiers obstructed their ambulances from reaching the area and attending to the wounded.
The Israeli military responded, stating they are investigating the incident and initial inquiries suggest that the fatal shootings did not originate from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). In a statement, the IDF mentioned a prior report concerning a Palestinian suspect attacking an Israeli shepherd in the Gitit area. Subsequently, a violent confrontation ensued between Israeli civilians and Palestinians, resulting in the reported fatalities.
The recent clash follows the disappearance and subsequent tragic death of 14-year-old Israeli shepherd Benjamin Achimeir from the Malachi Hashalom outpost near Ramallah in the West Bank. Over the weekend, hundreds of armed Jewish settlers launched raids on Palestinian villages near Ramallah, resulting in road blockades, arson attacks on houses and cars, and gunfire directed at civilians, according to witnesses and medics.
These attacks intensified following Achimeir’s discovery dead nearby on Saturday, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as a “heinous murder,” suggesting it was a suspected militant attack.
The West Bank, under Israeli occupation since 1967, has witnessed a surge in violence since early last year, exacerbating further with the eruption of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
