Israeli forces fatally shot two Palestinian teenagers in a town near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, residents reported. The victims, identified as Sami Ibrahim Mashaikha, 16, and Amr Khaled Al-Marboua, 18, were targeted in Kfar Aqab and succumbed to their injuries, as confirmed by the Health Ministry of the Palestinian Authority governing the West Bank.
According to the Palestinian WAFA news agency, Israeli forces carried out a nighttime operation in Kfar Aqab, deploying troops on the streets and rooftops before initiating gunfire. Israel Police stated that they fired at four individuals believed to pose an immediate threat during an operation in the Kfar Aqab vicinity, with medical teams evacuating the injured as per police reports.
The police clarified that the operation targeted “hostile elements” intending to harm security forces and incite violence. Stone-throwing and fireworks were directed at the police during the operation, leading to exchanges of heavy gunfire without a definitive source.
While the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10 has somewhat reduced tensions in Gaza, the West Bank has witnessed escalating violence, with a reported death toll of at least 312 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers post-ceasefire. Palestinians in the West Bank have faced heightened military restrictions, limiting their mobility, alongside increased attacks by Israeli settlers.
Overnight incidents saw settlers setting fire to properties in Huwara and Abu Falah near Nablus, confirmed by local residents. The Israeli military responded to reports of settler violence, including rock-throwing and property damage in Huwara, although no suspects were apprehended following searches.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hold accountable Israelis involved in attacks against Palestinians, denouncing such actions as the work of a “small, extremist group.” Recent social media videos have shown numerous settler attacks on Palestinian communities, with Israeli forces having reportedly killed six Palestinian minors in the West Bank this month.
In another incident near Ramallah, the military alleged that two 16-year-old Palestinians hurled petrol bombs at a civilian road, justifying the use of force. The military released a brief video as evidence, although independent verification was not possible. The military declined to disclose further video footage or elaborate on the decision to resort to lethal force.
Additionally, Palestinian assailants carried out a car-ramming and stabbing attack in the West Bank, resulting in the death of an Israeli man and injuries to three others before the assailants were shot dead by Israeli soldiers, labeled as a terrorist incident by Netanyahu.
The United Nations children’s agency reported that since the Gaza ceasefire, at least 67 children have lost their lives in conflict-related incidents, with many more sustaining injuries, highlighting the ongoing toll of violence following the ceasefire agreement.