West Bank teenagers killed by Israeli army, Palestinians say

Palestinian officials said the Israeli army killed two teenagers in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday night, while the Israeli military said troops opened fire during what it called a violent riot.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the dead as Omar Mohammad Naji al-Nassan, 19, and Khalil Rasem Khalil Shahada, 16. It said they were shot in Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah in the central West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the two teenagers were critically wounded by live fire during clashes, with Nassan hit in the neck and Shahada in the back. It said both were transferred to hospitals in Ramallah, where doctors pronounced them dead.

Amin Abu Alia, head of the Al-Mughayyir village council, said Israeli settlers tried to steal sheep from two homes and that Israeli forces later raided the village centre. He said Israeli forces placed snipers inside buildings who opened live fire on residents who tried to confront the settlers.

The Israeli army said it had secured the village entrance to facilitate the return of livestock belonging to Israeli civilians that had been found in the area. It said people it described as terrorists hurled cinder blocks and stones at troops, and that forces fired at “key instigators” to remove the threat. The army said the handling of the incident was under review.

The West Bank has seen increased violence since the Gaza war began after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian official figures, at least 1,105 Palestinians, including some militants, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers since then. Israeli official figures say at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security forces, have been killed in the West Bank in Palestinian attacks or during clashes with Israeli forces.