RAMALLAH, West Bank — Two Palestinian teenagers were fatally shot by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Monday, Palestinian officials reported. The Israeli military, however, stated that the individuals had launched an attack on a neighboring Jewish settlement using fire bombs and burning tires.
Palestinian officials did not provide additional comment on the deadly incident, which occurred in the Beit Ummar area. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported the two teens were 15 and 19 years old, a detail confirmed to Reuters by a relative of the victims.
Reuters was not able to independently confirm the Israeli military’s version of events. According to the military, its forces opened fire on three individuals who were hurling fire bombs and burning tires near the settlement of Karmei Tzur. Of the three, two were killed and one was wounded, the military said. WAFA reported that the surviving individual was taken to a hospital and is listed in stable condition. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society identified that person as 15 years old.
Israeli military forces conduct raids throughout the West Bank on a regular basis and have increasingly restricted movement for Palestinians living near settlements in recent months.
United Nations bodies and the majority of countries consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law and a major barrier to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel disputes this characterization, arguing the land is contested rather than occupied and pointing to a Jewish historical presence in the region spanning thousands of years.
Attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their communities have also increased significantly. According to U.N. data, at least 57 Palestinians have been killed so far this year in incidents involving settlers and the military.
Palestinians have also conducted attacks targeting Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank. Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security service reports that at least one such attack proved deadly in 2026.
