A Palestinian man, Alaa Subeih, 28, was shot and killed by an Israeli during a settler attack on his village, Tayasir, in the occupied West Bank. A relative stated Subeih was defending a greenhouse when he was killed. A senior UN official corroborated that a settler was responsible.
The Israeli military claimed an off-duty soldier fired at Subeih after he threw stones. Tayasir has seen increased settler violence, with Israeli settlements in the West Bank considered illegal under international law.
This incident occurs as former Israeli security chiefs warn of "government sponsored Jewish terrorism" in the West Bank. The Israeli government has reportedly approved dozens of new settlements.
UN Human Rights Office representative Ajith Sunghay noted a significant increase in settler violence this year. He added that settlers often include soldiers, and a "separation between settlers and state is becoming more and more difficult to draw."
The IDF's English statement described Subeih as a "civilian," while a Hebrew statement and some Israeli media labeled him a "terrorist." The IDF stated soldiers responded to reports of an incident involving Palestinians and Israeli civilians, including rock-throwing, which resulted in injuries to both an Israeli and a Palestinian civilian.