Two Palestinians Martyred as IOF, Settlers Intensify West Bank Assaults

By Staff, Agencies

Two Palestinians were martyred Wednesday evening after “Israeli” occupation forces [IOF] shot them during clashes with Palestinian youths in al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, as the village remained under a tight siege.

Earlier, three Palestinians were injured when settlers attacked homes and surrounded several houses in western al-Mughayyir under the protection of IOF.

Meanwhile, clashes also broke out during an occupation raid on al-Arroub refugee camp north of al-Khalil, where the IOF fired live ammunition. Raids were also reported in Azzun, east of Qalqilya, and Jabal Karam al-Nimr in Beita, south of Nablus.

The escalation follows the demolition of two residential buildings in Ain al-Saqi, Birzeit, two days earlier. Settlers also attacked journalists covering the demolitions in an attempt to obstruct their work.

At the same time, settlement expansion continued around Beit Lahm, where settlers began developing infrastructure for a new outpost in al-Qarnat, east of al-Minya, while bulldozing Palestinian land in Nahhalin, west of Beit Lahm. The work seeks to expand the nearby Beitar Illit settlement at the expense of privately owned Palestinian land.

The developments come amid accelerating settlement expansion across the occupied West Bank, with outposts increasingly being transformed into permanent communities through new roads and water, electricity and sewage infrastructure, alongside expanded settlement jurisdiction over Palestinian land.

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission recently said occupation authorities had approved 18 new or amended settlement jurisdiction areas across the West Bank under orders signed on August 25, 2026, by IOF Central Command chief Avi Bluth following preparations by the Settlement Administration and Civil Administration.