The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest terms the killing of two Palestinians by Israeli settler militias in two separate attacks in the occupied West Bank, days apart. In the first attack, a Palestinian was killed and 19 others, including two children, were injured when settler militias attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in the village of Burqa, northwest of Nablus, on Wednesday morning. In a separate incident, another Palestinian was killed in a settler attack near Kobar village, northwest of Ramallah.
These attacks are part of a broader, integrated system in which Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) provide cover and protection for settler violence, enabling settlers to attack Palestinians and target their property and land. Settler militias have thus become a forward arm of IOF on the ground, helping advance a policy aimed at eroding the Palestinian presence across the West Bank, forcibly displacing residents from their lands, and imposing new facts on the ground as part of an ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing.
According to information collected by PCHR’s field researcher and the testimony of lawyer Yousif ‘Abdel Latif ‘Awad Bazari (26), one of victims, at approximately 09:30 on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, around 40 armed settlers from a pastoral settlement outpost attacked members of the Bazari family and other residents of Burqa village, northwest of Nablus, as they were harvesting olives on their land in the Wadi al-Jamie area, behind al-Mas’udiyya in the western part of the village. The settlers threw stones at the Palestinians, and one of them opened fire, killing ‘Ali Hasan Bazari (44), a captain in the National Security Forces, with a bullet wound to the pelvis, and injuring three others with live ammunition. A further 16 Palestinians, including a child, were injured when the settlers attacked residents with batons and stones. IOF arrived at the scene and opened fire at the Palestinians in an attempt to disperse them.
In a separate incident on Friday, 2 October 2026, armed settlers killed Bahaa’ Sami Amin al-Natshah (19), from Kafr ‘Aqab, north of Jerusalem, and assaulted and injured a young man who was accompanying him near the ‘Ezbet al-Natshah family area on the outskirts of Kobar village, northwest of Ramallah. IOF detained al-Natshah’s body and arrested his companion before later releasing him on bail.
In his testimony to PCHR’s field researcher, the witness said:“We arrived at the yellow gate adjacent to Bahaa’s family’s land. The area was quiet, and we did not see anyone. I was walking ahead of Bahaa, who was riding a motorbike. He turned towards the village, got off the motorbike, took out his mobile phone, and began photographing the gate, apparently to send the pictures to his family. He had taken only two steps when I saw a tractor approaching from the settlement outpost, carrying settlers; four masked and all armed. I shouted to Bahaa’, ‘The settlers are here!’ They immediately opened fire on us without warning. Bahaa. started running as they fired heavily in our direction. I saw him fall face-first to the ground and realized he had been wounded when he began reciting the Shahada. I tried to flee uphill but slipped and fell. As I tried to get back up, I was confronted by settlers standing in front of me. One struck me on the neck with his rifle and asked, ‘What are you doing here?’ I replied, ‘I am on my friend’s land.’ He beat me and shouted, ‘This is our land!’ Two settlers then grabbed me and threw me down beside Bahaa, who was lying motionless and unable to speak. They began searching his body, and I saw blood on his back. They then beat me again before dragging me into the land, throwing me onto thorn bushes, tying my hands behind my back, and blindfolding me. After IOF military SUVs arrived, I remained on the ground while the soldiers beat me with rifle butts and kicked me every few minutes. This continued for approximately two hours. Afterwards, they accused me of wanting to throw Molotov cocktails and claimed that I had been carrying two bottles. I explained that the bottles contained juice for us to drink, and were still sealed. Around 12 soldiers then surrounded me, cocked their rifles, and pointed them at me. I felt they were preparing to kill me, so I began reciting the Shahada, but they did not open fire. They subsequently took me to the interrogation center at the Ni’lin military checkpoint and later released me on bail.”
With the killing of ‘Ali Hasan Yosor Bazari and Bahaa Sami Amin al-Natshah, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank since the beginning of the year has risen to 21, including three children, according to PCHR’s records. Meanwhile, the number of Palestinians killed by the IOF and Israeli settlers in the West Bank since the beginning of the year has risen to 100, including 22 children and two women.
PCHR calls upon the international community to provide immediate international protection to the Palestinian population, particularly in areas subjected to settler attacks and in communities at risk of displacement. PCHR also calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfil their obligations to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and to hold those responsible for grave violations accountable.
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 also demands serious international action to ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes before international justice, end the entrenched policy of impunity, ensure international protection for Palestinian civilians, and halt all forms support that enable Israel to continue its violations of international law.
