Death toll from Israeli settler attacks spirals in 'most violent' year for West Bank
During a settler attack aimed at stealing sheep, the Israeli army killed a Palestinian boy and a young man on Wednesday evening in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Omar Muhammad Na’san, 19, and Khalil Rasem Shahada, 16, were shot dead by Israeli soldiers.
Marzouq Abu Na’im, a member of the village council and an activist documenting settler attacks there, told Middle East Eye that armed settlers attacked a house to steal livestock. The Israeli army then stormed the village to provide protection for the settlers and took up positions on the roof of the targeted house.
"The settlers stole the sheep and attacked the homeowners, who were unable to resist or object due to the heavy presence of soldiers and snipers on the roof," he said.
Na’san, whose house is next to the targeted house, went outside to see what was happening - an Israeli sniper positioned on the roof of the house shot and killed him.
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Then, Rasem Shehadeh came out of his house on the opposite side after hearing residents screaming from their windows.
He had barely moved a few metres outside his door when soldiers also shot him, according to Abu Naim.
Both of them bled for some time while an ambulance was prevented from reaching them. Coordination was eventually made through the military liaison office to transport them, but they had already died.
"Their blood filled the ambulance because of the severity of the bleeding. The paramedics tried to resuscitate them, but they had already passed away. Meanwhile, the settlers managed to steal the sheep and left under the protection of the army," he continued.
Escalating attacks
Since the beginning of the year, five Palestinians from the town have been killed, three of them by settlers.
Human rights organisations have warned of the escalating settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, which are taking an even deadlier turn under the protection of the Israeli army.
According to a report by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, 2,030 attacks were carried out during August, 1,402 by soldiers and 628 by settlers.
Settler attacks were concentrated particularly in Ramallah and al-Bireh (157 attacks), Nablus (137), and Hebron (120).
The report also stated that settlers attempted to establish 32 new settlement outposts during August.
Joint attacks by soldiers and settlers on agricultural land damaged 21,508 trees, including 19,375 olive trees. Furthermore, 164 Palestinians were directly affected by settler attacks, including 20 children and 17 women.
Human Rights Watch issued a report on 20 August titledWest Bank: Israel-Backed Settler Violence Drives Displacement.
The organisation stated that escalating settler attacks have led to the complete or partial displacement of 107 Palestinian towns and villages since January 2023, and that 2026 is on track to be a record year for settler attacks, with these attacks increasingly resulting in the displacement of Palestinian villagers.
According to United Nations humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) figures cited in the statement, the average number of settler attacks resulting in injuries or property damage is 6.6 per day, the highest rate in the agency’s records.
As of 24 July OCHA documented the killing of 15 Palestinians, including two children, by settlers during 2026, putting the year on track to surpass the previous record of 16 killings in 2023.
Human Rights Watch accused Israeli authorities not only of failing to protect Palestinians from settler violence but also of providing financial, material, and legal support to the settlers responsible for the attacks.
The UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process warned in August that settler violence in the West Bank had reached unprecedented levels, stating that the territory had “reached a breaking point”.
He explained that the UN had documented more than 1,430 incidents of settler violence since the beginning of the year, affecting some 260 Palestinian communities.
He added that 76 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers as of 10 August in 2026. The UN also noted that some 3,800 Palestinians had been displaced since the beginning of the year as a result of settler violence, demolitions, and evictions.
On 21 August, the European Union stated that the situation in Qusra, where Palestinian families remained trapped in their homes for over a week due to settler violence, while US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the settlers besieging the Palestinian families as terrorists.
The EU demanded an end to the intimidation, harassment, property destruction, and physical assaults, calling on Israel to take decisive action and hold those responsible accountable.
The most violent year yet
Palestinians believe that international statements and condemnations are no longer sufficient to stop these attacks or hold the perpetrators accountable.
Palestinian officials are demanding that the international community move beyond condemnation and take concrete legal action against the Israeli government and settlers.
Salah Khawaja, director of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission office in the central West Bank, stated that all statements issued by organisations, bodies, institutions, and governments have been limited to condemnation and denunciation.
In his view, this has provided cover and justification for Israel to continue its aggression against Palestinians and commit the most heinous crimes against them.
"The fundamental problem is the absence of any effective international steps to hold Israel, as a government, and the settler groups accountable for their practices and support of terrorism and attacks in various areas of the West Bank," he told MEE.
He explained that successive Israeli governments have considered settlement activity a priority, whether in construction, expansion, or confiscation, but the current government has gone further than any.
He said Israel was defying the international system, while the international response, unfortunately, remained limited to statements of condemnation.
He said 2026 was the most violent year ever in terms of settler violence - in 2019, one Palestinian was killed by settler gunfire; two in 2020; and five in 2021. During the first half of 2026 alone, 20 Palestinians were killed by settler gunfire.
"This escalation represents one aspect of a systematic approach...which enjoys the full support of the Israeli government and security apparatus,” he concluded.
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