Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed into a Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, leading to violence and bloodshed. The settlers were reportedly searching for a missing 14-year-old boy from their settlement, with one Palestinian man killed and 25 others wounded in the rampage. This incident occurred amidst an escalation of violence in the West Bank that accompanied Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, reported that settlers set houses on fire and shot at Palestinians in the village of al-Mughayyir.
The violence in the West Bank intensified after an Israeli raid overnight resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians, including a Hamas militant. Palestinian health officials have reported that over 460 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the war began in October. The Palestinian Health Ministry stated that the killing of a 26-year-old man and the injuries sustained by others were a result of shootings by either armed settlers or Israeli soldiers. The situation was condemned by the new Palestinian prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa.
The Israeli army continued to search for the missing Israeli teen, claiming that soldiers opened fire in response to stones being thrown by Palestinians. They also stated that “hits were identified” and that they cleared out the Israeli settlers from the village. The surge in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank during Israel’s war with Hamas prompted concerns from United States officials, including President Joe Biden. Rights groups have criticized the military for failing to halt settler violence or hold soldiers accountable for their actions.
Two Palestinians were killed in earlier confrontations with Israeli forces in the northern West Bank, with one identified as a local Hamas commander targeted by the soldiers. Israel has opened a new crossing for aid trucks into northern Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis worsened by the six months of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Despite aid efforts, the United Nations has reported distribution difficulties hindering the delivery of aid to Gaza, leaving more than 1 million people on the brink of starvation.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in substantial casualties on both sides, with over 33,600 Palestinians killed and 76,200 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry noted that women and children make up two-thirds of the dead. Israel has claimed to have killed over 12,000 militants during the war; however, they have not provided evidence to support this assertion. The prolonged violence has had a devastating impact on the civilian population in Gaza, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation in the region.
