Palestinian teens killed during settler attack on West Bank village, officials say

At least 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the beginning of the year, according to UN figures, with at least 23 of those deaths occurring in the context of settler attacks. During the same period, three Israelis—including members of security forces and civilians—were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, the UN reported. The Israeli military has faced growing criticism for allegedly taking part in settler attacks on Palestinians, either by participating directly, allowing them to continue, or failing to prosecute those responsible. On Thursday, Israel’s police unit announced that a 19‑year‑old settler had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in an attack on the Palestinian village of Qusra that took place on Saturday. Authorities described it as the first such apprehension in weeks of repeated assaults on Qusra. Dozens of masked settlers entered the village, encircling a building where Palestinians were trapped inside and hurling stones. Israeli soldiers deployed to the area reportedly detained the trapped Palestinians but allowed the settlers to leave. The Israeli subject said troops removed “rioters” and protected residents. Israel has established roughly 160 settlements housing about 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem—territory Palestinians seek, together with Gaza, for a future state—following the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside those settlers. International law considers the settlements illegal. In a separate development on Wednesday, Israeli forces demolished the Palestinian village of Khirbet al‑Tabban in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli quality rights radical B’Tselem said the village’s 70 residents, including 28 children, were given no notice prior to the demolition and were not allowed to remove their property. The group characterized the demolition as the most significant action in Masafer Yatta since May 2025. During the 1980s, the Israeli military designated approximately 3,000 hectares