Israeli fire kills two Palestinians during settler assault on West Bank town

Israeli fire killed two Palestinians during an army-backed settler attack in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to reports from local media and Palestinian authorities. The victims, identified as Ahmad Adel Abu Mukho, 26, and Odeh Abdul Rahim Odeh Farakhneh, 53, were shot dead during the attack on the town of Deir Jarir, located northeast of Ramallah. The incident occurred on 19 July 2026, marking another tragic episode in the ongoing cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the region. The attack reportedly began at night when a group of Israeli settlers stormed the town of Deir Jarir. According to Eid Hammad, head of the Deir Jarir village council, the settlers raided a house in the old part of the town and stole several sheep. Residents who attempted to intervene were confronted with live fire from both the settlers and Israeli soldiers. Hammad claimed that Israeli forces blocked access for ambulances to reach the injured, and the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that Israeli troops also fired upon one of its ambulances during the incident. The violence in Deir Jarir was not an isolated occurrence. In recent weeks, similar incidents have unfolded across the West Bank, with settlers increasingly resorting to acts of aggression against Palestinian civilians and properties. On Saturday, settlers set fire to a Palestinian-owned home in the village of Tell, southwest of Nablus, while Israeli forces burned dozens of olive trees in Deir Qaddis, west of Ramallah. These coordinated attacks underscore a pattern of escalating tensions, with settlers operating either independently or under the cover of Israeli military presence. The United Nations' Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory recently issued a report highlighting a dramatic rise in settler violence against Palestinians. The commission noted that such violence has reached unprecedented levels, with settlers killing seven Palestinians and injuring 832 others in 2025—a 130 percent increase compared to the previous year. The report further stated that the Israeli government indirectly supports these attacks through financial aid, logistical help, and military protection. “Violence by settlers is the direct result of Israeli policies that support, enable and protect their actions,” said Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the commission. This trend of heightened settler activity has persisted into 2026, with attacks occurring almost daily. According to the Palestinian Authority’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, at least 50 Palestinians have been killed by settlers since October 2023, including at least 15 this year alone. The situation in the Hebron governorate has also worsened, with Palestinian officials reporting a surge in settler attacks targeting both individuals and their property. In a separate incident in the town of Surif, northwest of Hebron, settlers used clubs to assault residents in the Khallat Ghneimat area. Meanwhile, in the Khallat al-Homs area, south of Yatta, settlers drove cattle onto farmland owned by Palestinian farmer Samir Obeid, causing damage to fruit trees and crops. The increasing frequency and severity of these attacks reflect broader patterns of occupation and conflict. Settlers, often backed by Israeli security forces, continue to engage in acts of arson, vandalism, and physical intimidation, contributing to a climate of fear among Palestinian communities. As the situation escalates, calls for accountability and international intervention grow louder, though the path forward remains uncertain. For now, the violence continues, with new incidents unfolding regularly in the occupied territories.