Israeli Troops Fatally Shoot Palestinian Child in Occupied West Bank

Tragedy in al-Mughayyir Village

A 14-year-old Palestinian boy, Mohammed Naasan, was fatally shot by Israeli troops on Friday in the village of al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah. This incident occurred amidst escalating military violence and attacks by settlers on Palestinians. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Naasan was shot in the back and chest.

According to a statement from the Israeli army, the boy was shot because he was "running towards them carrying a stone." This killing followed an attack by Israeli settlers, under military protection, in an area of southern al-Mughayyir, where gunfire was exchanged.

Recently, violence against Palestinians has surged, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 71,000 people since October 2023. Experts warn that this violence is part of a strategy for the formal annexation of the West Bank by far-right Israeli politicians, aimed at forcing Palestinians out of their homes.

In 2025, the UN reported that at least 240 Palestinians, including 55 children, were killed by Israeli forces or settlers. Additionally, the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) recorded over 1,800 settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage, averaging about five incidents per day, the highest since monitoring of settler violence began in 2006.

Human rights groups, such as BTselem, claim that the Israeli army enforces a "live fire policy" that allows for the "unjustified use of lethal force," while Palestinian children increasingly become victims of Israeli violence.