Israeli Forces Kill Two Palestinians As Settlers Rampage through West Bank Towns
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Palestinians in the occupied West Bank town of Silwad declared a general strike after two residents were gunned down by Israeli forces during a wave of violent settler raids backed by the military.
The two Palestinians were shot dead in Silwad, east of Ramallah, as Israeli forces opened fire during confrontations sparked by attacks from armed settlers.
One of the victims was identified by Quds News Network as Khamis Ayyad. The identity of the second Palestinian has not yet been confirmed.
Residents of Silwad announced a comprehensive strike in protest, mourning the killings and condemning the repeated acts of aggression by both Israeli settlers and occupation forces.
The latest violence came during a coordinated settler raid on Thursday targeting the towns of Silwad, Rammun, and Abu Fallah.
According to eyewitnesses, settlers—under the protection of Israeli troops—set fire to 16 Palestinian vehicles and sprayed racist Hebrew graffiti on homes.
Ayed Ghafri, a local activist, reported that settlers poured flammable liquid on parked cars and torched them in full view of Israeli soldiers.
Video footage circulating online showed mobs of settlers storming Palestinian neighborhoods and committing arson while the military stood by.
During the chaos, Israeli forces fired tear gas extensively at local Palestinians trying to defend their property.
A Palestinian man was killed from inhaling tear gas, witnesses said, marking yet another casualty from the occupation's indiscriminate violence.
Since October 2023, when Israel launched its genocidal campaign against the Gaza Strip, at least 1,009 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 wounded in the West Bank alone—many at the hands of illegal settlers operating with military support.
Last year, the International Court of Justice ruled Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land unlawful, demanding the dismantling of all settlements across the West Bank and East Al-Quds.
