RAMALLAH: Israeli settlers shot dead a Palestinian man and injured another during a raid on a village in the northern occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to the mayor and the Palestinian health ministry.

The raid came as international criticism mounts over surging levels of settler violence against Palestinians in the territory, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downplayed last week.

The Palestinian health ministry said that 51-year-old Mashhour Yassin was killed “by settler gunfire” in Yasuf, north of Ramallah.

Earlier on Thursday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams had tended to two men wounded by live fire during the attack, including a man in his fifties shot in the abdomen. Israel’s military said it was looking into the details of the attack.

Yasuf mayor Jumaa Abdel Fattah confirmed that dozens of settlers armed with sticks and firearms had attacked the village, which is located between four Israeli settlements, around 1pm. “Yassin was at his doorstep when the settlers attacked the village homes. He went out to defend his house,” Abdel Fattah said, adding that Yassin’s nephew was also injured in the attack.

Abdel Fattah added that the settlers had come from the nearby settlement outpost of Havat Anton, which was established in July, causing previous tensions with Palestinian residents.

The assailants came from the direction of a settler outpost built near the village about two months ago, Abdel Fattah said.

“The settlers have been attacking the village continuously since the outpost was established,” he added.

The Israeli military said it was checking the incident.

Rights groups say the increasing settler presence on the edge of villages is part of a campaign to seize land and eat into territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state.

In a surge of violence, Israel’s military and settlers have killed more than 80 Palestinians in the West Bank since the beginning of 2026, according to the UN.

Israel captured the West Bank in 1967 and since then the territory has been under Israeli military occupation, with settlers emboldened by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has overseen a massive expansion of Jewish outposts.

The UN and most countries regard Israeli settlements as illegal under international law governing military occupations. Israel disagrees with that interpretation and says the territory’s status is disputed.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank in settlements illegal under international law, a minority of whom engage in violence towards Palestinians.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026