Palestinian boy, 14, among two killed in settler attack near West Bank school

Key Points:

• Two Palestinians, including 14-year-old schoolboy Aws al-Naasan and 32-year-old Jihad Abu Naim, were killed after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir, with three others wounded.
• Witnesses reported settlers attacked the village school first, followed by Israeli soldiers arriving later; footage shows a settler firing near the school, and videos capture the aftermath with injured children and adults being carried away.
• The Israeli military stated soldiers responded to stone-throwing at an Israeli vehicle and a reservist opened fire at suspects; the reservist has been suspended pending a criminal investigation.
• The incident is part of a broader surge in violence against Palestinians by settlers and soldiers, including recent settler actions such as demolishing a school and placing razor wire to block students’ access to education.
• The West Bank has seen increased settlement expansion under the Israeli government, with over 700,000 settlers living among 2.7 million Palestinians, and since October 2023, more than 1,150 Palestinians have been killed, with no Israeli prosecutions for civilian deaths in the area this decade.