A Palestinian man has been killed in the occupied West Bank and 25 are reported hurt after dozens of Jewish settlers stormed a village during an Israeli search for a missing teenager. Israeli troops intervened after dozens of settlers stormed al-Mughayyir armed with guns and stones. It is not yet clear whether the man who died, Jehad Abu Alia, 26, was shot by an armed settler or Israeli soldier.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said live fire hit at least eight people. Missing Benjamin Ahimeir, 14, has not been found. A huge search is under way.
Local media said the circumstances around the teenager’s disappearance were still unknown and the military was not sure if the incident was terrorism-related. Troops have set up roadblocks in the area.
Israeli media reported that Benjamin Achimeir had left “Gal Farm” in the settler outpost of Malachei Shalom early on Friday, and had not been seen since.
He had been grazing sheep, and the sheep returned to the farm without him, police said. His sister Hannah, quoted by AFP news agency, said he was familiar with the area. Separately, Israeli forces shot and killed two West Bank Palestinians.
One was confirmed by Hamas to be a local commander of the group. The Israeli military say Mohammed Daraghmeh was killed in a shoot-out with their troops.There has been a surge in violence in the West Bank since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas’s deadly attacks in Israel on 7 October, which killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
West Bank violence: ‘My child’s destiny was to get killed’
At al-Mughayyir, videos posted on X by an Israeli human rights group, Yesh Din, show dark clouds of smoke billowing from burning cars next to an olive orchard, as gunshots are heard. Social media pictures also show what appears to be a crowd of masked settlers.
The father of Jehad Abu Alia, the 26-year-old who was shot, spoke from a hospital in Ramallah, where Jehad’s body had been taken. “My son went with others to defend our land and honour, and this is what happened,” Afif Abu Alia said.
The IDF says its troops, and not settlers, opened fire at stone-throwing Palestinians as “violent disturbances erupted at several points in the area”.Troops managed to remove the settlers who had entered the village, it said.
“As of this moment, the violent riots have been dispersed and there are no Israeli civilians present within the town,” the IDF said. The battle between farmers in West Bank pitting Israel against the US
The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa, has condemned the attack.
Foreign governments including Israel’s closest ally, the US, have repeatedly raised concerns over a surge in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank since Israel began its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
Source: BBC
In other news – WATCH: Skomota sleeps during an interview
South African sensation, Skomota cracked the ribs of many viewers as he was seen sleeping while being interviewed.
The viral sensation never ceases to amaze people, from his awkward dance moves to his behavior around women. Read more
