A 19-year-old Palestinian was killed Friday evening after Israeli settlers opened fire in the occupied West Bank town of Kobar, north of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The ministry identified the victim as Bahaa Sami Amin Nathsheh, from Kafr Aqab near occupied Jerusalem, saying he succumbed to critical wounds sustained in the shooting.

According to Palestinian sources, armed Israeli settlers from an outpost established on Kobar's lands opened fire at Palestinians in the area, wounding Nathsheh and another person.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said Israeli forces subsequently prevented its medical crews from reaching the wounded, delaying emergency treatment. Nathsheh later died from his injuries, according to the Health Ministry.

Israeli forces also raided Kobar following the shooting and fired tear gas, with Palestinian sources reporting that an area resident was struck in the head by a gas canister. The man was taken to a local clinic in light condition.

Rising settler violence

The killing comes amid a sustained increase in attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented more than 1,600 settler attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage across 275 Palestinian communities between January and August 2026 — an average of 6.7 attacks a day.

OCHA said the attacks have increasingly affected Palestinian homes, farmland, water infrastructure and livelihoods, while access restrictions linked to the violence have contributed to the displacement of Palestinian families. By mid-September, the agency said more than 2,600 Palestinians had been displaced since the start of the year in the context of settler violence and related access restrictions.

The latest killing adds to growing concerns over the safety of Palestinians living in communities surrounded by Israeli settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian officials have repeatedly called for international protection for civilians and accountability for attacks by settlers, while Israeli authorities have faced mounting international scrutiny over their handling of settler violence. (ILKHA)