Two Palestinian teenagers were killed in the West Bank after Israeli army forces opened fire during clashes in Al-Mughayyir village, Palestinian officials said. The incident occurred northeast of Ramallah on Wednesday night.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the victims as 19-year-old Omar Mohammad Naji al-Nassan and 16-year-old Khalil Rasem Khalil Shahada. Both teenagers suffered critical injuries from live fire before being taken to hospitals in Ramallah.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Nassan was wounded in the neck while Shahada was shot in the back. Medical teams transferred both teenagers to separate hospitals, where doctors later pronounced them dead.
The head of Al-Mughayyir village council said the violence began after Israeli settlers allegedly attempted to take sheep from two homes. Amin Abu Alia said a confrontation followed, after which Israeli forces surrounded the village and entered its centre.
He alleged that Israeli forces positioned snipers inside buildings and opened live fire at residents who confronted the settlers. The Israeli army gave a different account, saying its forces had secured the village entrance to help return livestock belonging to Israeli civilians.
The Israeli army said a “violent riot” broke out during its operation, with people throwing stones and concrete blocks at soldiers. It said troops fired at key instigators to remove what it described as a threat. The army added that the handling of the incident was being reviewed.
The deaths come amid a wider increase in violence across the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Palestinian officials report more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers, while Israeli figures record dozens of Israeli deaths in attacks and clashes.
