The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest terms the killing of two brothers in cold blood by an Israeli settler in Qaryout Village, southeast of Nablus, and the injury of their third brother and several others, including a child, in a shooting attack carried out by the same settler and another at the same location.
According to information gathered by PCHR and eyewitness accounts, at around 12:00 on Monday, 02 March 2026, four settlers, including the guard of Shilo settlement established on the lands of Qaryout village, southeast of Nablus, headed towards Taha Mount, south of the village, accompanied by an excavator. The excavator began working on a plot of land belonging to Nour Freiz ‘Azem. When several Palestinian residents approached to see what the settlers were doing, the settlement’s guard and another settler with a gun advanced towards them and attempted to arrest Nabil Jamil Abu Morah, a resident of the area. His sons—Mohammed, Fahim, and Jamil—intervened to prevent his arrest. The settlement’s guard then opened fire to intimidate the residents, threatened them and photographed them with his mobile phone. Around five minutes later, the guard returned with more than 50 settlers, who began throwing stones at Mohammed Nabil Abu Morah (52) and damaging his property. Mohammed and his brothers, supported by their neighbors, confronted the settlers by throwing stones in response. The settlement’s guard and another settler took cover behind an olive tree about 20 meters away and opened fire at Mohammed, shooting him in the head. His brother Fahim (48) was also shot in the pelvis. Their brother Jamil attempted to evacuate them with the assistance of neighbors and placed them in a civilian vehicle to transport them to Qablan Clinic. During the continued settlers’ attack, Jamil was struck by two bullets in his right leg. All three were transferred to Qablan Clinic and later referred to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus. Two other Palestinians, including a child, were also wounded in their limbs after the armed settler accompanying the settlement’s guard opened fire at them. At approximately 13:20, medical personnel at Rafidia Governmental Hospital declared the deaths of Mohammed and Fahim after they succumbed to their wounds
With this incident, the number of Palestinians killed by settlers since the beginning of the year has risen to three, while the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and settlers has reached 14, including three children.
PCHR condemns this crime and emphasizes that the IOF bear full responsibility for this systematic violence, which is backed by the highest political echelons in Israel.
PCHR recalls the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, which confirmed that the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967 is illegal and obligated the occupying state to immediately end its unlawful presence, including dismantling the settlements and evacuating the settlers.
PCHR reiterates that such crimes require urgent and effective action to halt the IOF and settlers’ crimes in the oPt and to end the apartheid system imposed by Israel on the Palestinian people.
PCHR calls for serious action to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable before international justice, end the policy of impunity, protect Palestinian civilians, and halt all forms of international support to Israel that enable it to continue its racist and colonial policies.
