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Two Palestinians shot dead in al-Mughayyir
A 14-year-old boy and a 32-year-old man died on Tuesday when Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers opened fire near a school in the occupied West Bank village of al-Mughayyir, Palestinian officials reported.
How the confrontation unfolded
The mayor of al-Mughayyir, Amin Abu Alia, told the BBC that approximately ten settlers, accompanied by Israeli troops, approached the village and began shooting toward a local school. The Palestinian health ministry attributed the deaths to "settler gunfire."
Israel's military stated it sent soldiers after receiving reports of stones being thrown at an Israeli vehicle carrying civilians, including a reservist who exited the car and "opened fire at suspects in the vicinity." The military added that troops then "acted to disperse the violent confrontation" and confirmed it was reviewing the incident.
Eyewitness accounts and video evidence
Footage from mobile phones appears to show an Israeli soldier firing his weapon. Additional videos capture chaos outside the school gates as medics and parents rushed to aid the wounded and retrieve the dead.
"The school was suddenly surrounded by groups of settlers who attacked alongside the army. We had to call villagers to escort the children home. Then settlers shot from one side and soldiers from the other."
Kathem al-Haj Ahmed, 57, al-Mughayyir resident
Broader context of settler violence
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the incident as a "terrorist attack and massacre" carried out by settler groups in coordination with the Israeli military. The United Nations has described a sharp rise in settler violence, documenting over 200 attacks in March alone-an average of six daily.
Since the start of 2026, at least ten Palestinians have been killed and 385 injured by settlers in the West Bank, according to UN figures. Approximately 1,750 Palestinians have been displaced due to settler violence and Israeli access restrictions this year.
"This is our reality in al-Mughayyir-it's a campaign of displacement. They attack us from all directions, and the army and settlers switch roles."
Kathem al-Haj Ahmed
Settlements and international law
Human rights organizations have accused the Israeli military of enabling extremist settlers to act with impunity. Israel has established around 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jewish residents in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since occupying the territories during the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek these lands, along with Gaza, for a future state. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside settlers.
The settlements are widely considered illegal under international law.
