Israeli Snipers Kill Two Palestinian Youths During Settler Raid on Al-Mughayyir

Omar Mohammad Naji al-Nassan, 19, was shot in the neck. Khalil Rasem Khalil Shahada, 16, was shot in the back. Both were killed by Israeli snipers positioned on rooftops in the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, on the evening of September 2, 2026.

The killings took place during a settler raid on the village. According to village council head Amin Abu Alia, Israeli settlers entered the village center near the Grand Mosque, attacked two homes belonging to Saleh Suleiman and Shehadeh Kaabneh, and stole their sheep. When residents attempted to confront the settlers, Israeli forces imposed a siege on the village and positioned snipers on buildings.

The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that both were shot with live fire and died during transport to hospitals in Ramallah.

The Israeli military claimed it had "secured the entrance" to facilitate the return of livestock and stated that "a violent riot broke out, during which terrorists hurled cinder blocks and stones at the forces." They said forces "responded by firing at key instigators."

Al-Mughayyir has been under relentless assault. In April 2026, an Israeli army reservist disguised as a settler shot and killed 14-year-old Aws Hamdi Naasan outside the village boys' school and 35-year-old Jihad Abu Naiem. In July, 17-year-old Fadi Hamdallah al-Na'san was shot while defending a neighbor's home from settlers and died days later from organ failure. On August 20, eleven Palestinians were wounded in another settler attack on the village access road.

Since October 2023, seven residents of Al-Mughayyir have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers. The village has lost 12,000 olive trees, seen 42,000 dunams of land seized, and watched its livestock reduced from 18,000 to 130 head.

There is no "circle of violence." There is a village being systematically emptied of its people.

Sources: Al Jazeera · https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/2/two-palestinian-killed-as-settlers-israeli-forces-raid-west-bank-village | Arab News · https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/palestinians-say-israeli-army-kills-two-teenagers-in-west-bank-3000312 | UN Human Rights · https://palestine.un.org/en/314420-child-and-man-killed-near-school-al-mughayyir-settler-militarisation-intensifies