Israeli settlers attacked two West Bank villages on Saturday, killing 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh in Qusra and injuring several people in Rashayda, where attackers reportedly seized more than 100 sheep. The Israeli military acknowledged a 'violent confrontation' and said one Israeli civilian was wounded; multiple detentions were reported. Human-rights groups and UN reports say most incidents in the West Bank proceed without legal consequence, with very few convictions recorded.
Settler Attacks in West Bank Kill 28-Year-Old, Injure Several and Seize Over 100 Sheep
Palestinians pick olives near Israeli outposts near Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank [File: Faiz Abu Rmeleh/Getty Images]
Israeli settlers attacked two West Bank villages on Saturday, killing a 28-year-old man in Qusra and wounding multiple Palestinians in Rashayda, local officials and news agencies reported.
What Happened
Hani Odeh, the mayor of Qusra in the Nablus governorate, told AFP that settlers shot dead 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh. Two other residents of Qusra were wounded in that incident.
On the same day, authorities reported an assault in the Rashayda area east of Bethlehem near the village of Kisan. Palestinian news agency Wafa said a group of settlers attacked the area, 'firing live ammunition.' Musa Abayat, the mayor of Rashayda, told AFP that five Palestinians were injured in that assault, including two with gunshot wounds. Three others suffered injuries from sharp objects or were struck by stones and were taken to hospital.
Local officials also reported that the attackers seized more than 100 sheep during the raid on Rashayda. Abayat described settler violence as a near-daily reality for residents of the area.
Official Responses
The Israeli military acknowledged a 'violent confrontation' involving Israeli civilians who discharged firearms toward Palestinians. The military told AFP that one Israeli civilian was wounded and that two Israeli civilians were detained alongside three Palestinians.
Separately, Wafa reported that Israeli forces shot a 43-year-old Palestinian man, Ahmad Khalil Saleh, at the Beit Iksa checkpoint northwest of Jerusalem on Saturday. Local sources cited by the agency said soldiers also severely beat his 20-year-old son at the same location.
Context and Accountability
Palestinian authorities and the United Nations reported that at least five Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of March, part of a wider surge in violence linked to the war in Gaza. An AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures says Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 1,045 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.
Human-rights groups and investigators say most of these incidents have proceeded with little legal consequence. Israeli rights group Yesh Din found that more than nine in 10 investigations into ideologically motivated offences by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank ended without indictment. A sweeping UN report concluded that, of more than 1,500 Palestinians killed between 2017 and September 2025, Israeli authorities secured just one conviction.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk described conditions in the West Bank as resembling apartheid, condemning what he called the 'systematic asphyxiation' of Palestinian rights under two separate bodies of law: one for settlers and another for Palestinians.
Why This Matters
The episodes underscore mounting tensions in the occupied West Bank, the heavy toll on civilians, and persistent concerns from rights groups and the UN about accountability for violence. Local officials warn that daily attacks and property seizures are increasingly disrupting community life and livelihoods.
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