Beit Ummar, Palestinian Territories. Israeli soldiers shot dead two Palestinian teenagers in the occupied West Bank on Monday, Palestinian officials said, while the Israeli military said the two had attacked a nearby Jewish settlement with fire bombs and burning tyres.
Palestinian officials gave no immediate further comment on the fatal incident in the Beit Ummar area. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said the teenagers were aged 15 and 19, and a relative confirmed their ages to Reuters.
Conflicting accounts of the incident
Reuters was unable to independently verify the Israeli military’s account. The military said its forces had opened fire at three people who were throwing fire bombs and burning tyres near the settlement of Karmei Tzur.
According to the military, one of the three was wounded and two were killed. WAFA said the third person was hospitalised in stable condition. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said he is 15 years old.
Wider tensions in the West Bank
Israeli troops frequently carry out raids in the West Bank and have tightened movement restrictions in recent months on Palestinian villages near settlements.
U.N. bodies and most countries consider Israel’s settlements illegal under international law and a primary obstacle to Palestinian statehood. Israel rejects that position, saying the territory is disputed rather than occupied and that a Jewish presence there dates back thousands of years.
Rising violence
Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and their villages have also risen sharply. In incidents involving settlers and the military, at least 57 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the year, according to U.N. data.
Palestinians have also carried out attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank, including at least one deadly attack in 2026, according to Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security service.