In a recent escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian teenagers during a raid on the town of Kafr Aqab, north of East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the victims as Amr Khaled Ahmed al-Marbou, 18, and Sami Ibrahim Sami Mashayekh, 16. The incident occurred overnight on Friday, with Israeli forces deploying ground troops and snipers positioned on rooftops opening fire on civilian crowds, resulting in multiple injuries alongside the fatalities. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported treating two young men severely wounded by live ammunition before they succumbed to their injuries at the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. Israeli police claimed the operation targeted ‘hostile elements’ attempting to harm forces and disrupt public order, citing stone-throwing and fireworks as provocations. However, local residents disputed this narrative, alleging that Israeli soldiers initiated the violence. The killings have intensified tensions in the region, with hundreds attending funeral processions for the teenagers. Meanwhile, settler violence has surged, particularly during the olive harvest season, with reports of arson attacks on Palestinian properties, including farmland, tourist villas, and a vehicle scrapyard in Huwara. Over 350 vehicles were destroyed in the latter incident. The Israeli government has proposed educational programs for settlers, while Shin Bet, the domestic intelligence agency, called for a forceful response to settler violence. The ongoing conflict has claimed 244 lives in the West Bank and East Jerusalem this year, with over 1,076 Palestinians killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Israeli forces kill two Palestinian teens as settler violence escalates across the West Bank
