Two Palestinian teenagers have been buried after being killed during an attack in an occupied West Bank village, according to local officials. Omar al-Nassan, 19, and Khalil Abu Alia, 16, died in al-Mughayyir on Wednesday as confrontations erupted after Palestinian residents tried to stop Israeli settlers taking sheep, the village council told the BBC.

The Israeli military gave a different account. It said its forces entered the village to provide security for an Israeli civilian and police officers who were attempting to recover livestock.

The military said troops opened fire on and struck what it described as “key instigators” during a “violent disturbance”. Palestinians, it said, had thrown stones at Israeli forces.

The deaths come amid a sharp rise in settler violence across the West Bank. UN figures show more than three attacks a day have been recorded on average so far this year, while al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, has repeatedly faced attacks by Israeli settlers.

Messages circulating in WhatsApp groups used by settlers have indicated that some hope to force residents of al-Mughayyir to leave. The latest killings have therefore added to growing concern over violence and displacement in the territory.

At least 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to UN figures. At least 23 of those deaths occurred in the context of settler attacks.

Three Israelis, including security personnel and civilians, have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank over the same period, the UN says.

Watch: BBC reports from Palestinian village under weekly attack by Israeli settlers

The Israeli military has faced mounting criticism over allegations that its forces actively participate in settler attacks, stand by during violence or fail to prosecute those responsible. Israel has rejected the characterisation of its forces in such incidents.

There was a notable development on Thursday when Israeli police announced the arrest of a 19-year-old settler suspected of taking part in an attack on the Palestinian village of Qusra on Saturday. It was the first such arrest in weeks of attacks on Qusra.

Dozens of masked settlers had descended on Qusra, surrounding a house while Palestinians were trapped inside and throwing stones. Israeli soldiers deployed to the scene reportedly detained the Palestinians inside but not the settlers, allowing the settlers to leave.

The Israeli military said troops had removed “rioters” and protected residents. The incident has nevertheless intensified scrutiny of how Israeli security forces respond to settler violence.

The wider backdrop is Israel’s extensive settlement presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel has built about 160 settlements housing around 700,000 Jews since occupying the territories during the 1967 Middle East war.

Around 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them in the West Bank. Palestinians seek the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza for a future state, while the settlements are considered illegal under international law.

Another major development unfolded on Wednesday in the Masafer Yatta area, where Israeli forces demolished the Palestinian village of Khirbet al-Tabban. Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem said its 70 residents, including 28 children, received no warning before the demolition and were not allowed to remove their belongings.

B’Tselem described the destruction as the most significant demolition in Masafer Yatta since May 2025. The village lies within an area where the Israeli military has imposed restrictions dating back decades.

In the 1980s, the military declared about 3,000 hectares in the South Hebron Hills, including Masafer Yatta, a restricted firing zone for military training. Israel says Palestinian homes in the area were built illegally.

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that homes inside the firing zone could be demolished and residents expelled. Palestinian residents had argued that such action violated international law and said their families had lived in the area since before the establishment of the State of Israel.

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B’Tselem says Khirbet al-Tabban has become the 66th Palestinian community expelled by Israeli authorities since the Gaza war began in October 2023. The organisation alleges that the expulsions form part of a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” in the West Bank.

With the funerals of two teenagers now held in al-Mughayyir, attention remains focused on the escalating violence, the conduct of Israeli forces and settlers, and the growing pressure on Palestinian communities across the West Bank.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj6482r6yl4o

Palestinian residents tried to stop Israeli settlers taking sheep

Guessing it was a Welshman masquerading as Joo ?

US ambassador brands violent Israeli settlers ‘terrorists’

The US ambassador to Israel has branded violent Israeli settlers “terrorists” after another surge of unrest in the occupied West Bank, delivering an unusually blunt condemnation during a visit to Palestinian American residents.

Mike Huckabee said attacks including arson, vandalism and the torching of mosques went beyond ordinary criminality, describing them as “an act of terror”. His comments come after weeks of violence and growing pressure on Israel to confront settler attacks.

Huckabee delivers stark warning after fresh attacks

Visiting the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya, Huckabee met around 10 Palestinian American residents who described the impact of attacks on their homes and property.

He said American residents were being denied the peaceful life they deserved by people creating “extraordinary challenges that are unfair and illegal”. The ambassador stressed that the US Embassy could not investigate crimes itself, but could press Israel to investigate and prosecute them.

Huckabee used similar language last month after unrest in Qusra, where settlers surrounded homes including one belonging to a Palestinian American.

Graffiti aimed at ambassador exposes fury

The ambassador’s comments have already made him a target for some settlers. After residents of Bazariya said a mosque was burned and graffiti was left reading “Huckabee regards from the terrorists” in Hebrew, he responded: “I’m glad they admitted it.”

Huckabee said the perpetrators represented a “very tiny minority”, but insisted the violence could not be ignored.

Netanyahu faces mounting pressure over settlers

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned what he called the actions of a “handful of rioters”, while Israel’s foreign ministry described the violence as “a disgrace”.

The confrontation comes as settlement construction expands across the West Bank under Israel’s most ultranationalist and religious government. Nearly 150 settlements are home to more than 500,000 Jewish settlers, while the UN and much of the international community regard the territory as illegally occupied.

Rights groups have also accused Israeli forces of frequently turning a blind eye to settler violence. Israel’s defence minister has announced plans to shift law enforcement responsibilities involving settlers fully to the Israeli police, putting renewed focus on whether perpetrators will face meaningful consequences.

US ambassador calls violent Israeli settlers 'terrorists' after weeks of West Bank unrest

What happened to the sheep ?

Would be disappointing for the Israelis not to be able to have lamb chop for their Sunday dinner

19 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

What happened to the sheep ?

Would be disappointing for the Israelis not to be able to have lamb chop for their Sunday dinner

Typical disgusting comment.

So the military admits it killed teenagers for throwing stones?

The military said troops opened fire on and struck what it described as “key instigators” during a “violent disturbance”. Palestinians, it said, had thrown stones at Israeli forces.

2 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Typical disgusting comment.

So the military admits it killed teenagers for throwing stones?

The military said troops opened fire on and struck what it described as “key instigators” during a “violent disturbance”. Palestinians, it said, had thrown stones at Israeli forces.

I care about the sheep .

Don't you ?

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

I care about the sheep .

Don't you ?

You're a sick man Nick, a sick man.

11 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

You're a sick man Nick, a sick man.

Do you care about sheep ?

35 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Typical disgusting comment.

So the military admits it killed teenagers for throwing stones?

The military said troops opened fire on and struck what it described as “key instigators” during a “violent disturbance”. Palestinians, it said, had thrown stones at Israeli forces.

Throwing stones is a time honored tradition for Muslims to commit murder. Dating back to the birth of Islam.

Just ask the women who have been stoned to death.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by HolmesEquivelant

43 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Typical disgusting comment.

So the military admits it killed teenagers for throwing stones?

The military said troops opened fire on and struck what it described as “key instigators” during a “violent disturbance”. Palestinians, it said, had thrown stones at Israeli forces.

If you engage the enemies army in a violent confrontation, throwing rocks at armed soldiers , they will quite probably shoot you . .

Self preservation rule number 1 .

Don't take stones to a gun fight

55 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Palestinians, it said, had thrown stones at Israeli forces.

Yeah not a good idea to throw rocks at ppl with M16's now is it ?

Highly doubt they were even Palestinians, more like Jordanians or some other Arabs , Palestine doesn't exisit.

Another day, another Israeli atrocity.