A Palestinian youth was killed overnight in the central West Bank as Israeli settlers, backed by army units, launched coordinated assaults on several towns. Khamis Abdel Latif Ayad, from Silwad near Ramallah, died after Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister into his home during clashes sparked by a settler raid at dawn.

Eyewitnesses reported dozens of armed settlers storming Silwad under military protection, torching vehicles and attempting to burn homes. Israeli forces then entered the town, firing live rounds, rubber-coated bullets and heavy tear gas, triggering fierce confrontations. Similar attacks were reported in the nearby villages of Ramon and Abu Falah, where homes and cars were set alight.

This surge in violence comes amid a dramatic rise in settler assaults across the West Bank. According to Palestinian monitors, over 2,150 attacks have been recorded since the start of 2025, almost double last year’s figure. UN data shows hundreds injured in such incidents this year, underscoring the deepening crisis under military occupation.

Human rights groups warn that these attacks frequently occur with direct army complicity, enabling settlers to act with impunity. Palestinian officials have appealed for urgent international intervention, warning that unchecked settler violence is pushing the occupied West Bank into a state of escalating lawlessness and fear.