Two Palestinian teenagers were killed by Israeli forces during an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank, amid a surge in violence that continues to plague the territory despite a ceasefire in Gaza . The deaths of the youths in Kfar Aqab came as settlers launched separate attacks on Palestinian communities, highlighting a deteriorating security situation.
Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian teenagers, 16-year-old Sami Ibrahim Mashaikha and 18-year-old Amr Khaled Al-Marboua, during a military raid on the town of Kfar Aqab, near Ramallah . The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the deaths, stating both youths later succumbed to their wounds . According to reports from the Palestinian WAFA news agency, Israeli troops deployed throughout the town's streets and positioned themselves on building rooftops before opening fire . In a statement, Israel Police claimed its forces opened fire at individuals who posed an "immediate threat," and that the individuals were evacuated by medical teams .
These killings are part of a sharp increase in violence in the West Bank. With the deaths of Mashaikha and Al-Marboua, Israeli forces have now killed six Palestinian minors under the age of 18 in the West Bank so far this month alone . This surge in fatalities occurs amidst what the United Nations describes as a "wider pattern of increased violence against Palestinians" . Since 7 October 2023, Israeli security forces and settlers have killed at least 1,017 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including 221 children . The recent period has also seen a sharp increase in the use of disproportionate force by Israeli forces during operations in the region .
Alongside military raids, Palestinian communities also face a escalating campaign of violence from Israeli settlers . On the same night the teenagers were killed, settlers attacked communities near Nablus, setting fire to properties in Huwara and Abu Falah, according to local residents . The Israeli military stated that soldiers responded to reports of Israeli civilians hurling rocks at Palestinian vehicles and setting fires in the Huwara area, and that searches were conducted but no suspects were found . These attacks are not isolated; the UN humanitarian office documented over 260 settler attacks in October 2025 alone, the highest monthly count since it began monitoring in 2006 . Rights groups and Palestinians state that these attacks have become a daily phenomenon across the territory .
In response to the growing violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has characterized the perpetrators of settler attacks as a "small, extremist group" and pledged to ensure they are brought to justice . However, critics argue that the problem is systemic. The UN Human Rights Office has stated that settlers sometimes act "with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities" , and Israeli human rights groups point out that the vast majority of police investigations into settler offenses are closed without any charges being filed . The international community has taken notice; Singapore recently imposed targeted sanctions and entry bans on four far-right Israeli activists for their involvement in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank . The UN has repeatedly condemned these acts, with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stating that the violence and Israel's expansion of settlements are in breach of international law and violate the Palestinian people's right to self-determination .