In brief
In the occupied West Bank, Mohammad al-Malhi became the seventh Palestinian killed in recent settler violence, which has surged since the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Despite attempts by Israeli forces to dismantle unauthorized settler outposts, violence continues to escalate, exacerbating tensions in the region.
A Palestinian man has been killed and others seriously injured in separate settler attacks in the occupied West Bank.
Locals say that in the past day, several new outposts – clusters of settler homes unauthorised by the government – have been set up in areas where the Palestinian Authority is meant to have full control.
Settler violence has continued to surge in the West Bank since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran at the end of February.
Mohammad al-Malhi was the seventh Palestinian killed during this period. His family said he was shot in the head by settlers who had erected an outpost on their land near Bethlehem.
Malhi's family stated that Israeli soldiers had come to dismantle the outpost – but after the army left, settlers returned to rebuild it, which is when the shooting took place.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said there had been a clash between settlers and Palestinians, during which an Israeli civilian opened fire, resulting in one death and three injuries.
Video circulating on social media shows another attack on a 75-year-old man who was bruised and covered in blood after settlers raided his village in Tayasir and shot at young men confronting them.
This increase in settler violence appears to follow a pattern seen during the Gaza war, which was ignited by Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023, and has been spiraled by the expedited growth of settlements endorsed by the Israeli government.
Last year recorded the most extensive expansion of settlements since monitoring began, with all settlements viewed as illegal under international law. Outposts, set up without government approval, have nevertheless proliferated in recent days, including in areas that should be safe from Israeli citizens under local regulations.
While some outposts have been removed by Israeli forces, the government has retroactively approved the establishment of numerous others throughout the West Bank, a situation that continues to raise tensions between Palestinians and settlers.
Since the Israeli occupation began in 1967, around 160 settlements have been constructed, housing over 700,000 Jews, amidst a Palestinian population of approximately 3.3 million living in proximity to them.
