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Apr 12, 2026

Palestinian Youth Killed in Settler Raid on Deir Jarir Amid Surge of New West Bank Settlements

AI Summary
A 23‑year‑old Palestinian man was fatally shot by Israeli settlers during a raid on Deir Jarir, a village north‑east of Ramallah. The incident follows Israel's recent approval of 34 new West Bank settlements, raising international condemnation and highlighting a sharp rise in settler violence since the Gaza war and the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran.

Ali Majed Hamadneh, 23, was killed after Israeli settlers opened fire during a raid on the West Bank village of Deir Jarir, north‑east of Ramallah, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Saturday. He was transported to the Palestine Medical Complex in critical condition and later succumbed to his gunshot wounds.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa described the attack as carried out by "armed colonists, under the protection of Israeli forces," who entered the village from its western entrance and fired on residents. The Israeli military has not issued an immediate comment.

This raid occurs just two days after Israel approved 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move denounced by the Palestinian Presidency, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union as a breach of international law.

Since assuming office in 2022, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right‑wing government has sanctioned at least 102 settlements, a marked increase compared with previous administrations. All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.

Violence in the West Bank has escalated sharply since Israel's war in Gaza began in October 2023, and a further spike in deadly settler attacks has been reported since the United States‑Israel conflict with Iran started at the end of February, according to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations.

While settler assaults have persisted for years, the recent surge has drawn criticism from influential rabbis, settler leaders, and Israel’s military chief Eyal Zamir, who labeled the attacks "morally and ethically unacceptable."