Israeli Settler Attack in West Bank Kills Palestinian

Israeli settlers shot two Palestinians during an attack on the village of Yasuf in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, killing one and injuring another, according to Palestinian officials.

The incident comes amid heightened violence across the West Bank. According to figures cited by Palestinian officials from the United Nations, Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 80 Palestinians in the territory since the beginning of 2026.

Jumaa Abdel Fattah, head of the Yasuf village council, identified the Palestinian killed as 51-year-old Mashour Yassin. He said Yassin was shot during an attack on his home on the outskirts of the village.

Fattah said the attackers approached Yasuf from the direction of a nearby settler outpost established roughly two months earlier. He said residents have faced repeated attacks since the outpost was built.

The Israeli military provided a different account of events, saying Palestinians threw stones at Israelis who were approaching the village. According to the military, troops dispersed those involved and Israeli soldiers fired shots toward Palestinians.

The military did not immediately explain why the Israeli group had approached the village or clarify whether soldiers' gunfire caused any casualties.

Fattah said the settlers had already shot the two Palestinians before Israeli troops arrived at the scene. The military did not immediately respond to that claim regarding the timing of the shooting.

The latest West Bank violence comes as rights organizations raise concerns about the expansion of settler outposts near Palestinian communities. Such groups argue that the growing presence is contributing to Palestinian displacement and the seizure of land Palestinians envision as part of a future state.

Israel captured the West Bank during the 1967 Middle East war and has maintained military control over the territory since then. Israeli settlements and outposts have expanded substantially over the decades, including under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

The United Nations and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes that interpretation and maintains that the territory's legal status remains contested.