Israeli settlers kill Palestinian in West Bank, say officials

Israeli militant settlers shot two Palestinians, ​killing one and injuring ​the other, in an attack ‌on the ​village of Yasuf in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to Palestinian officials. In a surge of ‌violence, Israel's military and settlers have killed more than 80 Palestinians in the West Bank since the beginning of 2026, according to the UN.

In the latest ‌incident, settlers shot Mashour Yassin, 51, during an attack on his home ‌on the outskirts of Yasuf, said village council head Jumaa Abdel Fattah. The assailants came from the direction of a settler outpost built near the village about two months ago, ⁠Fattah said.

"The ​settlers have ⁠been attacking the village continuously since the outpost was established," he added. The Israeli military said ⁠it was checking the incident.

Rights groups say the increasing settler presence on the edge ​of villages is part of a campaign to seize land and ⁠eat into territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state. Israel captured the West Bank in ⁠1967 ​and since then the territory has been under Israeli military occupation, with settlers emboldened by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has ⁠overseen a massive expansion of Jewish outposts.

The UN and most countries regard Israeli ⁠settlements as illegal under ⁠international law governing military occupations. Israel disagrees with that interpretation and says the territory's status is disputed.