A 23-year-old Palestinian man died Saturday following a shooting incident in the West Bank, according to health officials, as deadly confrontations continue to mount during the ongoing Iran conflict.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the victim as Ali Majed Hamadneh, who was transported to a medical facility for treatment but succumbed to his injuries. Israeli military officials stated they were responding to what they described as violent unrest in Deir Jarir village, located northeast of Ramallah, when a reserve soldier fired the fatal shot.
Military authorities announced they have launched an inquiry into the shooting, though Palestinian officials and human rights organizations frequently argue that Israel rarely prosecutes settlers or military personnel for acts of violence. The military refused to clarify whether the reservist was performing official duties or participating as a civilian during the disturbance.
Fathi Hamdan, who leads the Deir Jarir Village Council, disputed the military’s account, claiming Hamadneh was shot by a settler wearing civilian clothing and that armed forces only arrived after the shooting occurred.
This latest death brings the total number of Palestinians killed this year to 33, with two-thirds of those fatalities occurring during the March Iran conflict. Israeli settlers have been responsible for at least eight of these deaths.
According to 2025 data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 240 Palestinians lost their lives in the territory last year, with Israeli military forces responsible for the vast majority and settlers accounting for nine deaths, representing less than four percent of the total.
The escalating violence coincides with Israel’s government authorizing 34 additional settlements in the West Bank, according to Peace Now, a settlement monitoring organization. The group revealed that the Security Cabinet granted these approvals on April 1 but concealed the decision during the Iran conflict to prevent diplomatic tensions with the United States.
Peace Now explained that some approved settlements involve existing settlement neighborhoods receiving independent status, while others represent small, previously unauthorized outposts and farms gaining official recognition. The monitoring organization criticized what it called a “frenzy” of approvals, describing them as an electoral strategy to court Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative base before upcoming Israeli elections.
“The establishment of settlements harms security, places an abnormal burden on the IDF, and undermines the possibility of resolving the conflict and achieving any future security and peace,” Peace Now stated, using the acronym for Israel’s military.
During a Friday ceremony celebrating new settlement establishment, several conservative politicians praised the recent approvals. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared, “Israel’s political decisions in Judea and Samaria are completely killing off the idea of separate states and the founding of a terror state in the heart (of Israel).”
Since 2023, the government has authorized a total of 102 new settlements, according to Peace Now’s records.
