Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian teenagers during an overnight operation in Kfar Aqab, a town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to local residents and health officials. The killings come amid a sharp rise in violence across the territory even as the Gaza front remains under a ceasefire.
The deaths of sixteen year old Sami Ibrahim Mashaikha and eighteen year old Amr Khaled Al Marboua have added to growing concern over the increasing number of minors killed in the West Bank this month. Their passing highlights the volatile climate in the territory, where raids, settler attacks, and retaliatory incidents have become more frequent.
Residents told reporters that Israeli forces entered Kfar Aqab during the night, positioning personnel on streets and rooftops before gunfire erupted. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that both teenagers later died of their wounds. WAFA, the Palestinian news agency, said the raid involved heavy deployment of troops throughout the town.
The Israeli military referred all questions to the Israel Border Police, part of the national police structure, which had not responded by the time of publication.
While the ceasefire of ten October halted fighting in Gaza, unrest in the West Bank has intensified. Palestinians say they have faced tightened movement restrictions over the past two years, and communities are reporting increased confrontations with Israeli settlers.
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Residents near Nablus said that settlers attacked neighbourhoods overnight in Huwara and Abu Falah, burning property and damaging vehicles. In a statement, the Israeli military said soldiers were dispatched after receiving reports that Israeli civilians had thrown stones at Palestinian cars and set property alight in the Huwara area. Troops searched the sites but did not locate suspects.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he planned to meet cabinet ministers to ensure accountability for Israelis involved in such assaults. He described those responsible as a “small extremist group” and said they must face justice.
The Israeli military also said that in an earlier incident near Ramallah, two sixteen year olds had thrown petrol bombs at a civilian road. The claim could not be independently confirmed by Reuters. The army published a nine second video that it said captured the moment the bombs were thrown, but declined to release the full footage or explain why a soldier opened fire rather than attempt an arrest.