Funeral services were conducted this week for two Palestinian teenagers, Omar al-Naasan and Khalil Abu Alia, who were shot and killed during a incursion by settlers and Israeli soldiers into the village of al-Mughayyir, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
The killings occur against a backdrop of near-daily attacks by Jewish settlers in the area. Mohammed Al-Naasan, the father of one of the victims, expressed the grim reality faced by families in the region to the BBC. “We expect that when our sons walk in the street, they are likely to return to you injured or killed,” he said.
In response to the incident, Israel’s military stated that its forces fired upon “instigators of a violent riot” and confirmed that the event is currently under review.
According to the United Nations, more than 80 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the territory since the start of the year.
This is heartbreaking. The father’s quote about expecting his son to return injured is absolutely devastating to read.
80 deaths already this year? That statistic is staggering and needs more global attention immediately.
Does anyone think the military review will actually lead to accountability, or is this just another procedural formality?
I had no idea al-Mughayyir was seeing such frequent incursions. Thanks for the context on the settler violence.
The cycle of violence here seems endless. How do you even begin to heal when this happens weekly?