Two Palestinians were shot in the head and one was killed by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli soldiers in a village northeast of Ramallah.
Published on 8 March 2026
Israeli settlers shot dead two Palestinians during an attack on a town in the occupied West Bank, the WAFA news agency reported – the latest in a series of attacks that have killed at least six Palestinians in a week.
Citing a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the agency said Sunday that the attack took place overnight on the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.
The victims have been identified as 57-year-old Fair Jawdat Hamayel and 24-year-old Thar Farooq Hamayel. Both were shot in the head, the agency reported.
WAFA said a third resident was killed by smoke from tear gas canisters fired by Israeli soldiers accompanying the settlers to disperse the residents when they tried to confront the attackers. He has been identified as Muhammad Hasan Murrah, 55.
In a post on X, Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the “brutal attack on innocent civilians,” saying three were killed and seven wounded.
The Israeli military said troops were sent to the Abu Falah area “following reports that Palestinians were being attacked by Israeli civilians near homes,” AFP news agency reported.
“Later, two Palestinians were reportedly killed as a result of gunfire. Additionally, another Palestinian was reported to have died of suffocation,” it said in a statement, according to the report.
The Israeli military said it was “watching” the incidents, AFP news agency reported.
By exploiting the United States-Israeli war on Iran, settlers have increased harassment and attacks on Palestinians, especially in rural areas of the West Bank. WAFA said the killings in Abu Falah raised to at least six the number of Palestinians killed by settlers in the West Bank since the US-Israel offensive on Iran began a week ago.
On Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry and the local mayor, based in Ramallah, said Israeli settlers shot dead a Palestinian man and wounded his brother in an attack on the village of Wadi al-Rakhim in the southern West Bank.
Mohammad Rabai, head of the village council in nearby At-Tawani, told AFP that settlers broke into homes in the area and attacked the family of 27-year-old Amir Mohammad Shnaran, who later died.
The Israeli military said soldiers and police were sent to the scene after reports of “violent confrontations” between Israelis and Palestinians. He said the investigation is going on.
According to Palestinian Ministry of Health statistics, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, both members of resistance groups and civilians, in the occupied West Bank since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.
According to official Israeli statistics, at least 45 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations.
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