Palestinians say Israeli forces kill two during settler attack in West Bank

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has surged since the outbreak of the Gaza war, with rights groups and the UN reporting near-daily attacks by Israeli settlers.

Published: July 20, 2026 11:07 pm IST Location: Ramallah, Palestinian Territories Source: AFP

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Monday (July 20, 2026) that Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian men when a group of Israeli settlers attacked a village in the occupied West Bank overnight. The military said its troops opened fire after Palestinians threw stones at them.

The Ramallah-based ministry identified the two victims as:

• Odeh Abdul Rahim Odeh Farakhna, 53
• Ahmad Adel Rashid Abu Mkhou, 26

"They were killed by [Israeli] occupation gunfire in the town of Deir Jarir," the ministry said.

In a separate statement, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said its teams evacuated one other person wounded during a settler attack on the town late on Sunday (July 19, 2026).

Military Account

Israel's military told AFP that troops were dispatched to Deir Jarir to protect and evacuate Israeli settlers who entered the area to retrieve livestock.

"A violent confrontation developed in the area, during which terrorists hurled rocks and concrete blocks at the forces," the military said. "The forces responded with fire in order to remove the threat. Hits were identified."

Mayor's Account

Deir Jarir mayor Eid Hamad said that the settlers had come to take livestock that was not theirs.

"Settlers, accompanied by the Israeli army and police, arrived at the outskirts of the village and raided the sheep pens of local residents who owned sheep and cattle," he said at the two men's funeral on Monday.

"They brought a truck and loaded the sheep," Hamad said, adding that "while the settlers were there, young men from the village arrived and confronted them."

"The army then intervened and began firing on the young men present, resulting in casualties," Hamad said.

Broader Context

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has surged since the outbreak of the Gaza war, with rights groups and the UN reporting near-daily attacks by Israeli settlers.

• Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, among some three million Palestinians.
• All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.
• Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,090 Palestinians since the war in Gaza began, including both militants and civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data.
• Official Israeli figures show at least 46 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the same period.

Published - July 20, 2026 11:07 pm IST