3 Palestinians killed in West Bank clash, bringing toll from week of violence to 6

Three Palestinians were killed in a violent confrontation with Israeli settlers in the West Bank on Sunday, escalating tensions in a region already overshadowed by Israel’s wider conflict with Iran. The incident brings the death toll of Palestinians in the territory to six over recent days, highlighting a concerning pattern of violence.

The Israeli military reported responding to an attack near Khirbet Abu Falah, east of Ramallah, where settlers had targeted local Palestinians. Two victims died from gunfire while a third succumbed to suffocation, likely from tear gas exposure. Among those killed were cousins Fare’ Hamayel and Thaer Hamayel, along with Mohammad Murra. The three men were buried together in a joint funeral ceremony.

Eyewitness Amin Shouman told the Associated Press that dozens of settlers approached the village from the north and opened fire when confronted by a community guard committee patrolling the village border.

In an unusual move, the Israeli military strongly condemned the settler aggression and launched a criminal investigation. Major General Avi Bluth, commander of the military’s Central Command, which oversees West Bank operations, issued a stern rebuke: “This is an unacceptable incident. There will be zero tolerance for civilians who take the law into their own hands.”

Bluth emphasized the timing of the incident, saying, “Especially at a time when the IDF is striking our bitter enemies, Iran and Hezbollah, with a firm hand — we cannot allow reckless internal violence to undermine the rule of law and the security of the region.”

However, Palestinians and human rights organizations have long criticized Israel for failing to hold settlers accountable for violence against Palestinian communities. The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry accused Israel of “exploiting the atmosphere of war” and the lack of international scrutiny to intensify intimidation, violence, and forced displacement in the West Bank.

Sunday’s fatalities come on the heels of several deadly incidents last week, including the killing of one Palestinian in the South Hebron Hills by an Israeli reservist on Saturday and the shooting deaths of two Palestinian brothers in the northern West Bank on Monday by settlers.

The violence represents a troubling shift in the pattern of Palestinian casualties in the territory. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 240 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank in 2023, with the vast majority killed by Israel’s military and only nine deaths attributed to settlers. However, this year has seen a significant increase in the proportion of fatalities directly linked to armed settlers.

Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group, has documented more than 50 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians in just the first four days of the current conflict with Iran, which began on February 28.

Adding to the challenges, the Palestinian Red Crescent reports that checkpoint and gate closures imposed during the war with Iran are creating mounting obstacles for first responders in the West Bank. While there is no full lockdown as seen following the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel has constructed approximately 1,100 gates across the territory, compared to around 800 during last year’s war. These barriers severely restrict movement between Palestinian towns and hamper emergency response capabilities.

Medical professionals and emergency workers emphasize that these movement restrictions critically impair their ability to respond quickly, particularly following violent settler attacks. Many vulnerable communities are located in areas under full Israeli military and civil control, far from city-center hospitals and dependent on roads that can be sealed without notice.

The escalation in West Bank violence comes at a time when international attention remains focused on Israel’s regional conflicts, raising concerns about deteriorating security conditions for Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire of multiple ongoing tensions.