Two Palestinians shot dead by 'Israeli' settlers in West Bank

• Two Palestinians were shot dead by 'Israeli' settlers in the West Bank amid escalating violence following the Gaza war.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Sunday that two Palestinians were shot and killed by 'Israeli' settlers in the occupied West Bank, marking the second such incident reported in two days.

In a statement, the ministry identified the victims as Thaer Farouq Hamayel, 24, and Fare’ Judat Hamayel, 57, saying they were shot “by settlers in the town of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.” The statement did not specify when the incident occurred or provide further details.

'Israel' has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Violence in the area has escalated since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023.

On Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah and a local official reported that another Palestinian was killed and his brother injured in a shooting by 'Israeli' settlers in the Wadi al-Rakhem area in the southern West Bank.

Mohammed Rabai, head of the nearby Tuwani village council, told AFP that one of the brothers was hit in the neck and the other, Khaled, was shot in the abdomen. According to Rabai, the brothers were attempting to move livestock away from settlers approaching their family homes when they were attacked.

Since the start of the Gaza war, more than 1,042 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by 'Israeli' soldiers or settlers, according to AFP tallies based on Palestinian Authority data.