Palestinian student shot dead by Israeli settlers

Radical Israeli settlers came to the West Bank village of Haja on Sunday evening and opened fire on residents, according to accounts from the village. A 20-year-old Palestinian student was hit in the head and later died of his injuries, while another Palestinian was in critical condition.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said two other people were wounded in the shooting near Qalqilya. An Israeli army spokesperson said the military was examining the reports.

The violence adds to an already worsening situation in the occupied West Bank. Since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and the Gaza war that followed, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed there in Israeli military operations, armed clashes and attacks carried out by Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Violence by radical Israeli settlers against Palestinians has also risen sharply. The Israeli military is repeatedly accused of failing to act decisively against such attacks, or even cooperating with settlers. Warnings of a new Palestinian uprising driven by settler violence have grown louder.

More than 80 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. About one-quarter were killed by settlers, it said.