Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinians, one of them a child, while protecting a group of settler militias carrying out an attack that included an armed raid in the village of al-Moghayer, east of Ramallah, in the central West Bank.
This incident is a stark example of the recurrent pattern of joint crimes targeting Palestinian civilians and their property, in which the IOF provide military cover for settlers as they carry out their attacks and do not hesitate to use lethal force against Palestinians who attempt to protect themselves or defend their property. This repeated conduct reflects a genuine integration between the IOF and settlers in carrying out systematic attacks, all aimed at entrenching new settlement facts on the ground and exerting further pressure on Palestinians to forcibly displace them from their land.
According to information and eyewitness accounts collected by PCHR’s field researcher, at around 17:00 on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, Israeli settlers, under the protection of the IOF, Israeli police, and Border Guard officers, raided the western entrance to al-Mughayer village, east of Ramallah, and attacked civilians’ homes. They then detained members of Shehadah al-Badawi’s family inside a room and stole seven sheep. At around 20:00, the IOF, accompanied by settlers, returned to the al-Harah area in the village center and stole around 40 sheep from Najeh Abu ‘Alia’s house. As villagers gathered, clashes broke out, during which the IOF fired live ammunition, killing two Palestinians, including a child. They were identified as ‘Omar Mohammed Naji al-Na’asan (19) who was struck by a bullet that entered through his back, passed through his shoulder, and lodged in his neck, and Khalil Rasem Khalil Shehadah (16), who was struck by a bullet that entered his right shoulder and exited through the lower left shoulder. Also, between 22:00 and 22:30 50 sheep were stolen from Rajeh Abu ‘Aliaa’s house at around 02:00, 03 September 2026, IOF and settlers raided the village again and stole sheep from Abu Nabil Abu ‘Aliaa’s house.
Mujahid Abu ‘Aliaa told PCHR’s field researcher:“At around 20:00, large forces of IOF returned to the center of the village, in al-Harah area, accompanied by two settlers. They targeted the houses who villagers who raise sheep, including the houses of Najeh Abu ‘Aliaa and Saqr Abu ‘Aliaa. They took around 40 sheep from Najeh’s houses, so the women screamed and called for help. The young men gathered, and Border Guard soldiers climbed onto the rooftops and started shooting. In the meantime, I saw the young man ‘Omar al-Na’asan being shot in the back. I tried to provide him with first aid, but the bleeding was severe. Around two minutes later, another young man namely Khalil Rasem was shot in the shoulder. Both were taken to hospital. About five minutes later, I left for Ramallah to follow up on the injured, and I later learned that they had died.”
Since the beginning of the year, the IOF and settlers have killed 87 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 22 children and two women. Of the victims, 17, including three children, were killed by settlers’ fire.
PCHR recalls the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, which affirmed the illegality of Israel’s continued presence in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 and found that Israel is under an obligation to bring its unlawful presence to an end, evacuate settlers and dismantle the settlements.
PCHR emphasizes that the continued impunity enjoyed by the IOF and settlers has emboldened them to escalate these crimes and expand their scope. This places the international community under an obligation to take immediate and effective action to halt the crimes committed by the IOF and settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory and bring an end to the regime of apartheid and settler colonialism imposed by Israel on the Palestinian people.
PCHR calls for urgent action to end the collective punishment and retaliatory acts carried out by the IOF and settlers and for immediate intervention to protect Palestinian civilians. PCHR also demands serious international action to ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes before international justice, end the prevailing policy of impunity, ensure international protection for Palestinian civilians, and halt all forms of political, military, and economic support that enable Israel to continue its unlawful policies and grave violations of international law.
