Israeli forces kill Palestinian man, wound three family members near Bethlehem

2026-03-26 - 20:30

A Palestinian young man was killed, and three of his family members were seriously injured in an attack carried out by Israeli occupiers in Bethlehem, according to a statement by the Jerusalem Governorate media. The victim was identified as Mohammed Faraj Al-Malhi from the town of Sharafat near Beit Safafa, southwest of Jerusalem. The statement said three of his relatives were critically injured in the attack. West Bank escalation The incident adds to the mounting death toll in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have intensified raids and operations since the Gaza war began. According to Palestinian authorities, at least 1,100 Palestinian civilians have been killed in the West Bank since 2020, with a quarter of them children. Settler violence The West Bank has also seen a surge in attacks by illegal Israeli settlers, with Palestinian authorities reporting over 500 documented incidents last month alone. Analysts note that such attacks often occur under the protection of or in coordination with Israeli soldiers, resulting in fatalities, home burnings, and destruction of farmland. Conflict context The West Bank violence comes amid the broader regional conflict following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which have killed over 1,350 people according to Iranian authorities. Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and devastated civilian infrastructure, with daily ceasefire violations continuing despite an October 2025 truce.