Israeli Forces Kill Two Teens and Raze West Bank Community

The Israeli Defense Forces shot and killed two Palestinian teenagers, 16-year-old Khalil Abu Alia and 19-year-old Omar al-Nassan, in the village of al-Mughayyir. The killings occurred after settlers, escorted by police and military personnel, entered the village to seize sheep from a Palestinian home. The military stated that troops fired at key instigators who resisted the seizure by throwing stones and cinder blocks.

In a separate operation in the south Hebron hills, Israeli forces razed the community of Khirbet al-Taban. The military demolished the homes of 12 families, leaving 70 residents homeless. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories described the demolitions as enforcement activity against illegal construction within a military training zone.

The rights group B'Tselem characterized the destruction of Khirbet al-Taban as the 66th Palestinian community wiped off the map since October 2023. Executive Director Yuli Novak accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the West Bank at an accelerating pace.