An American activist was killed by Israeli forces in the town of Beita, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank.
The victim, identified as Ecenur Özge Ece, a 26-year-old American citizen of Turkish origin, was fatally shot during a peaceful protest.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Fuad Nafeh, director of Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus, confirmed her death.
Medical responders on the scene reported that she was struck by a bullet in the head and transported to the hospital in critical condition, where she was later pronounced dead.
The protest had been a peaceful march in Beita, heading towards Mount Sabih, a location where a controversial Israeli settlement outpost was established.
Clashes erupted during the march, leading to the fatal shooting of the American activist.
This incident occurred just hours after Israeli forces had withdrawn from the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm following a military operation in the northern West Bank.
The operation, which began on October 28, resulted in the deaths of 39 Palestinians and left 150 others injured.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the victims included 21 people from the Jenin governorate, eight from Tubas, seven from Tulkarm, and three from Hebron.
In the aftermath of the military operation, the Palestinian Civil Defense reported that Israeli forces had destroyed about 25 kilometers of roads and residential areas in Jenin and its refugee camp.
Tensions continued to escalate as Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qaryut in the Nablus governorate.
A local source reported that settlers opened fire and threw stones at the village, also setting fire to agricultural lands. Palestinian residents confronted the settlers, resulting in violent clashes.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that a young man was injured after being physically assaulted by the settlers and was subsequently transferred to the hospital for treatment.
In another incident, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian vehicle in the town of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah, and vandalized a nearby home with racist graffiti.
In the town of Deir Dibwan, also near Ramallah, witnesses reported that settlers attacked the Al-Maraj neighborhood and torched four vehicles.
Additionally, settlers raided the Arab al-Mleihat community near Jericho in the eastern West Bank, detaining a Palestinian family.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s Commission Against the Wall and Settlements, since October 7, 2023, settler attacks have resulted in the deaths of 19 Palestinians, injuries to more than 785 others, and the displacement of 28 Bedouin communities.
These ongoing acts of violence underscore the escalating tensions in the West Bank, with both Israeli military actions and settler attacks contributing to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region.
The international community continues to call for an end to the violence and a return to peaceful dialogue.
