Daijiworld Media Network - Hebron
Hebron, Aug 22: A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed and another person critically injured after Israeli settlers opened fire during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank near Hebron on Friday, according to Palestinian officials and international media reports.
The teenager was identified as Karim Sanad Raja Shalaldeh. He was fatally shot in the town of Sa’ir, north of Hebron, during an incident that reportedly began after stones were thrown, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Another man was wounded and was reported to be in critical condition.
The incident occurred amid continuing tensions and a sharp increase in settler violence across the occupied West Bank. According to reports, the teenager was shot during a clash involving Israeli settlers. His father later told The Associated Press that settlers had killed his son.
The killing drew renewed concern from the United Nations, which called for Palestinians to be protected and for those responsible for attacks to be held accountable. The UN has warned of the escalating violence against Palestinians in the occupied territory.
The latest death comes amid a broader increase in settler attacks. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 18 Palestinians had already been killed in settler attacks by July 20, 2026, exceeding the total of 17 recorded during all of 2025.
The toll has risen further since then, with the latest incident taking the reported number of Palestinians killed in settler attacks this year to 22, according to the UN figure cited in reports on the attack.
The violence has also resulted in widespread injuries and displacement. OCHA has documented an average of around six settler attacks a day across the West Bank in 2026, with incidents involving shootings, stone throwing, arson, property destruction and attacks on Palestinian communities.
The latest killing occurred as settler violence has increasingly spread beyond rural areas traditionally associated with settlement outposts. A recent report by Israeli rights group Yesh Din found that attacks in areas of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority control have increased substantially this year.
The United Nations and rights organisations have repeatedly urged Israeli authorities to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure accountability for perpetrators of settler violence.
The circumstances surrounding Friday's shooting remain under investigation, while tensions continue to rise across the occupied West Bank.