A 19-year-old Palestinian-American was shot dead during a settler attack on a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials and witnesses said, in an incident that highlights rising violence in the region.
Nasrallah Abu Siyam was fatally shot on Wednesday near the village of Mukhmas, east of Ramallah, during clashes that erupted after Israeli settlers allegedly attacked a local farmer, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Several others were wounded in the violence.
Residents said tensions escalated when villagers tried to defend the farmer, and Israeli forces arrived at the scene. Raed Abu Ali, a resident, told The Associated Press that settlers began firing live ammunition amid the chaos. He also alleged that Israeli troops used tear gas, stun grenades and live fire to disperse Palestinians.
The Israeli military confirmed it used what it described as “riot dispersal methods” after Palestinians threw stones but denied that its forces opened fire. It said “suspects” had shot at Palestinians but did not clarify whether arrests had been made, as reported by AP.
For Abu Siyam’s family, the loss is deeply personal. His mother, speaking through grief, said her son held American citizenship and had dreams that stretched beyond the village’s narrow roads. He is the second Palestinian-American killed in settler violence in less than a year, according to officials.
Palestinian authorities said Abu Siyam was the first Palestinian killed by settlers in 2026. The killing comes amid a surge in violence across the West Bank, where Israeli forces and settlers killed at least 240 Palestinians last year, according to UN figures. In the same period, Palestinians killed 17 Israelis, including six soldiers.
Rights groups say attacks by settlers have intensified, particularly in rural communities like Mukhmas, where villagers report arson, assaults and expanding outposts. Palestinians and human rights organisations have long accused Israeli authorities of failing to hold settlers accountable. Israel rejects such accusations and says its forces act against violence and threats.
The United States embassy condemned the killing, calling the violence unacceptable.
Separately, the UN human rights office warned that Israeli actions in the West Bank — including settlement expansion and displacement of Palestinians, could amount to war crimes and raise concerns of ethnic cleansing. Israel has strongly rejected such allegations, accusing the UN body of bias.
The killing has left Mukhmas shaken, residents said. For Abu Siyam’s family, he was more than a statistic — a teenager who belonged to two worlds, and whose life ended before either could fully unfold, as reported by AP.
