Man reported killed in W. Bank settler attack; separately, 3 said hurt by settler gunfire

Palestinian officials said that Israeli settlers shot dead a Palestinian man on Saturday in an attack on a village in the West Bank.

Hani Odeh, mayor of Qusra village, told AFP that 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh died from gunshot wounds, while two other local residents were injured.

“This evening, settlers attacked the area located on the western side of the village, and opened fire on residents who were trying to defend their homes,” the mayor said.

The death in the village southeast of Nablus was also announced by the Ramallah-based health ministry.

The Israeli military said it was checking the reports.

There has been a recent surge in deadly attacks by settlers in the West Bank. The latest fatality brings the number of Palestinians shot dead by settlers since the start of March to six, according to a tally of data from the Ramallah-based health ministry.

Earlier in the day, an Israeli and two Palestinians were wounded during a clash near the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Amos, police said Saturday, while a Palestinian official said Israeli settlers injured five Palestinians, including two who were shot.

According to a police statement, the incident began after several Palestinians allegedly attacked and threw stones at an Israeli shepherd grazing sheep in the area, prompting an IDF unit to be dispatched to the scene.

During the incident, two settlers opened fire. One Israeli was wounded during the shooting, along with two Palestinians, who were evacuated by the Red Crescent for medical treatment.

Musa Abayat, the mayor of the area east of Bethlehem, told AFP that the two Palestinians were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, and three others were beaten with sharp objects or hit by stones.

“The settlers also stole 100 sheep,” Abayat said, decrying “daily attacks” by settlers in the area.

Police said three Palestinians suspected of involvement in the attack were arrested, while the two settlers who opened fire were detained for questioning, and their weapons were seized.

Police said officers and forensic investigators were collecting evidence at the scene as the investigation continues.

Prosecutions in the spate of near-daily settler attacks in the West Bank are rare, and convictions are even rarer. Critics have accused the government, said to be the most right-wing in Israel’s history, of shrugging off the attacks. The police force is under the authority of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right politician.

Settler violence has risen sharply since the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, according to the United Nations. And Israeli human rights group Yesh Din has reported a spike in settler violence amid the war in Iran that began on February 28, with some 50 incidents recorded in the first four days of the conflict.

Five Palestinians have been killed by settlers this year, and 41 since the October 7 attack, according to Wafa.

Data published by the IDF and Shin Bet security agency in January showed a 27 percent rise in settler attacks in 2025 compared to the previous year.