Two brothers, Mohammad and Faheem Mo'mar, were killed by Israeli settler gunfire in Qaryout, northern West Bank; three others were wounded, rights group B'Tselem said. B'Tselem reported ambulances were delayed for over an hour because of checkpoint closures Israel describes as temporary security measures. Video circulated showing roughly 10 settlers near the home and a settler aiming a rifle. The incident raises this year’s settler-related Palestinian death toll to three.
Two Brothers Killed by Israeli Settler Gunfire in West Bank Village as Checkpoints Block Ambulances
Mourners sit outside a hospital morgue where two bodies were brought, identified as Palestinian brothers Mohammad and Faheem Mo'mar, and who according to the Palestinian Health Ministry were shot by Israeli settlers in their home village of Qaryut, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Two Palestinian brothers, Mohammad and Faheem Mo'mar, were killed by gunfire from Israeli settlers on Monday in the village of Qaryout in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Mohammad was shot in the head and Faheem was hit in the pelvis; both died at the scene, authorities said.
Rights group B'Tselem reported that three additional people were wounded in the attack, including a third brother. The organization said ambulances were unable to reach the wounded for more than an hour because of checkpoint closures Israel has enforced across the territory since the recent regional war began.
A police officer stands guard by two bodies, identified as Palestinian brothers Mohammad and Faheem Mo'mar who according to the Palestinian Health Ministry were shot by Israeli settlers in their home village of Qaryut, at the hospital's morgue in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Local media and B'Tselem circulated video showing roughly 10 settlers gathered near a Palestinian home in Qaryout; in one clip a settler is seen aiming a rifle toward the top floor of the house. Another video shows villagers carrying a bleeding man toward medical care.
The wounded were taken to a hospital in the central West Bank city of Nablus. The Associated Press recorded scenes of family members and villagers mourning, while medical staff worked to treat the injured. Villagers helped carry bloodied bodies onto operating tables and covered the dead and injured with blankets.
Two bodies identified as Palestinian brothers Mohammad and Faheem Mo'mar, who according to the Palestinian Health Ministry were shot by Israeli settlers in their home village of Qaryut, lie at a hospital's morgue in West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Resident Adham Johary told the AP that a settler operating a bulldozer had been seen on the village edge and fled when local young men approached. "Less than 10 minutes later, more than 10 settlers attacked nearby houses," he said, adding that young residents attempted to defend the area and that there was what he described as "random gunfire directed at the young men and the entire area."
Palestinians and human rights organizations say Israeli authorities seldom prosecute settlers for violence. The U.N. humanitarian office reported that last year it recorded the highest daily average of settler attacks causing death, injury or property damage—about five incidents per day—since it began tracking such events in 2006.
The military administration responsible for civilian affairs in the territories, COGAT, said on Saturday it had closed crossings in the West Bank and Gaza for security reasons. Palestinians say the closures severely restrict movement, limiting access to hospitals, services and markets; Israeli officials say the measures are temporary and intended for security.
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