Israeli guard kills Palestinian teenager in West Bank clash near Sa'ir

Fatal shooting in Sa'ir

Israeli settlers entered Palestinian village lands at Khirbet Hamroush, located near Sa'ir northeast of Hebron, around 10 a.m. on Friday. The Israeli military stated that the settlers conducted an unauthorized hike into territory placed under Palestinian Authority civil control where Israeli entry is generally restricted. Sa'ir Mayor Saad Shlaldeh reported that settlers attacked the village and damaged local property, leading residents to confront the group. The military reported that villagers threw stones at the visitors, injuring several settlers. In response, an armed security coordinator from the Mitzad settlement opened fire on the crowd, fatally striking 17-year-old Karim Shalaldeh in the chest. The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed Shalaldeh's death, while local resident Nabil Tharawa and hospital official Khalid al-Sharif stated that a 70-year-old man was transferred in serious condition to Ahli Hospital in Hebron.

These people are thugs and more.

Fatal raid in Jenin

In a separate incident early Friday, Israeli armed forces carried out a raid on a residential home in the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Palestinian civil affairs officials notified the Health Ministry that 58-year-old Fathi Khazem died after being shot by soldiers inside the house. An Israeli military official stated that troops fired when Khazem attempted to stab them during the arrest operation, adding that no soldiers sustained injuries. Khazem was the father of Raed Khazem, who killed three people in Tel Aviv in April 2022 before being shot dead following an extensive manhunt. Israeli authorities had previously demanded that Fathi Khazem surrender following that attack. A second son, Abdul Rahman Hazem, was killed by Israeli forces during a September 2022 raid on the Jenin refugee camp.

Arson attack in Wadi Rahim

Settler attacks also occurred overnight in the southern West Bank area of Wadi Rahim, situated south of Hebron. Assailants entered an operational quarry and set fire to heavy industrial machinery, leaving several work vehicles completely burned. Palestinian news outlets published footage showing the equipment on fire, though local authorities confirmed that no workers suffered physical injuries during the incident. The perpetrators sprayed Hebrew graffiti across the site, including phrases reading "Shiloh bloc raids" and "Mutual guarantee." The slogans referred to the Israeli military's evacuation of an unauthorized outpost adjacent to the northern village of Qusra the previous week. Israeli military spokespersons confirmed that security forces opened an investigation into the arson and related property damage.

Casualties and international reaction

The West Bank is home to approximately 3 million Palestinians and roughly 500,000 Israeli settlers living across designated outposts and settlements. Figures from Palestinian officials record at least 87 Palestinians killed in nearly 1,500 settler and military attacks in the West Bank in 2026. In the same period, three Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the territory. United Nations bodies and most foreign governments classify Israeli settlements as illegal under international law governing military occupations, an assessment Israel rejects on historical and biblical grounds. Friction intensified further after the Israeli government published building tenders for the E1 settlement corridor near Jerusalem. A coalition of 11 nations, including France, Britain, and Canada, condemned the tender, warning that dividing the territory undermines the viability of a two-state solution.