Two 15-Year-Olds Killed Near Karmei Zur; Mosque Arson Draws UN Condemnation

Two teenagers killed in West Bank clash as mosque arson fuels international concern

The Palestinian Authority said on Thursday that two 15-year-old boys were killed by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, while Israeli authorities described the youths as "terrorists" who were allegedly on their way to carry out an attack near the community of Karmei Zur. Both sides offered limited details as investigations are ongoing.

The Israeli military issued a short statement saying, "IDF soldiers who were operating adjacent to the community of Karmei Zur, eliminated two terrorists who were on their way to carry out a terror attack," without providing further specifics. Palestinian officials likewise provided no additional immediate information about the incident.

Separately, Israeli authorities said they received on Thursday the body of one of the last four hostages from Gaza through the Red Cross under the ceasefire arrangement with Hamas. Forensic experts later identified the remains as those of Meny Godard, 73, who was killed on October 7, 2023, the day Hamas launched attacks on Israel.

Mosque arson near Deir Istiya

The Palestinian foreign ministry in Ramallah reported that Israeli settlers set fire to the Hajja Hamida mosque near the town of Deir Istiya in the northern West Bank. The ministry said the attack "blatantly violates the sanctity of places of worship and reflects the deep-rooted racism driving settlers under the protection of the occupying government." Photographs distributed by AFP showed burned copies of the Koran, blackened walls and graffiti inside the mosque.

The Israeli military said security forces were dispatched after receiving "a report and footage... regarding suspects who set fire to a mosque and sprayed graffiti." After a review it said no suspects were identified and that the case had been forwarded to Israeli police and a security agency. "The IDF condemns any form of violence and will continue to operate to safeguard the security and order in the area," the military added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack; his spokesman called the desecration of religious sites "unacceptable" and warned that such incidents are part of a growing pattern of extremist violence that is inflaming tensions.

Context and casualty figures

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, where more than 500,000 Israelis now live in settlements. A small minority of settlers have carried out attacks against Palestinians, who frequently complain that perpetrators are rarely arrested. All settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law by the international community.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 1,003 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Israeli official figures report that 43 Israelis, including soldiers, were killed in West Bank attacks in the same period. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said October 2025 was the worst month for settler violence since it began recording data in 2006, documenting at least 264 attacks that caused casualties or property damage.

Investigations into both the killings near Karmei Zur and the mosque arson were reported as ongoing. International and local calls for accountability and restraint have intensified amid a wider surge of violence across the West Bank since October 2023.