Three Palestinian men died on March 8 in the village of Abu Falah, located northeast of Ramallah, following an incident involving Israeli settlers and a subsequent response by Israeli military forces, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, reported that an overnight confrontation occurred when Israeli settlers entered the village. The health ministry identified two of the deceased as Fare’ Jawdat Hamayel, 57, and Thaer Farouq Hamayel, 24. WAFA stated both men died from gunshot wounds to the head.
According to the same report from WAFA, a third man, Muhammad Hassan Murrah, 55, died after Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene and deployed tear gas to disperse residents who had gathered. Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh commented on the incident in a social media post, stating that three were killed and seven others injured in what he described as a “brutal attack on innocent citizens.”
The Israeli military issued a statement, reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP), confirming that its forces were sent to the Abu Falah area “following a report of Palestinians being attacked by Israeli civilians near homes.” The military’s statement continued, “Later, it was reported that two Palestinians were killed as a result of gunfire. Additionally, it was reported that another Palestinian died from suffocation.” The Israeli military said it was investigating the circumstances of the deaths.
This incident followed another fatal event reported on March 7 in the southern West Bank. The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that Israeli settlers had shot and killed a Palestinian man, identified as 27-year-old Amir Mohammad Shnaran, in the village of Wadi al-Rakhim. Mohammad Rabai, a local council head, told AFP that settlers entered homes in the area and attacked Shnaran’s family.
In response to the Wadi al-Rakhim incident, the Israeli military said its soldiers and police were dispatched after receiving reports of a “violent confrontation” between Israelis and Palestinians and that an investigation was underway.
Figures released by the Palestinian Health Ministry state that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since military operations in Gaza began in October 2023. In the same period, official Israeli figures report that at least 45 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank.
