Two Palestinians were killed when Israeli settlers opened fire near a school in the occupied West Bank, one of them a 14-year-old boy shot as he fled toward his parents after hearing gunfire.
The attack occurred on April 21, 2026, in the village of al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah. Witnesses and video evidence demonstrate settlers, some in military fatigues, advancing toward the school and firing at least eight rounds into the courtyard where students and parents had gathered. The headteacher, Bassam Abu Assaf, said it was the first time settlers had used direct gunfire during an incursion, describing their intent as clear: to harm the children.
Aws al-Naasan, a ninth-grade student, was killed instantly. A video obtained by CNN shows his friends rushing to his side and carrying his body away as blood stained the street. The second victim, Jihad Abu Naim, 32, was a parent at the school who lived nearby. He rushed to the scene after hearing the shooting and was shot himself, according to the headteacher.
Three others were wounded in the attack, including an adult with an exposed, bloodied torso seen being carried away by civilians. Local officials said settlers entered the village and first targeted students, then turned fire on those who came to help. Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers arrived shortly after the settlers and were seen in the area, though the military said it intervened to break up a violent clash following reports of stones thrown at an Israeli vehicle.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed troops were dispatched to al-Mughayyir after reports of stone-throwing, and that a reservist involved in the incident had been suspended from duty pending a military police investigation, with his weapon confiscated. The military described the event as a response to suspects, whereas residents and human rights groups say the village faces near-daily settler harassment.
This attack is part of a documented surge in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, particularly targeting education. On the same day, activists reported settlers using a bulldozer to demolish a school in Hammamat al-Maleh, near Tayasir in the Jordan Valley. Residents of al-Mughayyir say the pattern is deliberate: to displace them through fear and destruction of essential services.
A witness, Kathem al-Haj Ahmed, 57, told Reuters that settlers and soldiers are effectively exchanging roles, with both contributing to an environment where families live under constant threat. “Here’s our reality in al-Mughayyer village,” he said. “They aim to displace us.”
The school in al-Mughayyir sits on the edge of the village, exposed on all sides by open land. Its western wall, a two-meter concrete barrier topped with mesh, offered no protection as settlers and soldiers took position there and fired into the courtyard — the very space meant to be an escape route.
The killing of Aws al-Naasan echoes a deeper personal tragedy for his family. According to relatives interviewed by Zeteo in collaboration with Egab, his father was killed seven years ago in a similar settler attack. The boy died just as his father had — caught in violence while seeking safety near a school.
Human rights groups have long warned that settler violence in the West Bank is increasing in frequency and intensity, often occurring with impunity. The attack in al-Mughayyir, captured in multiple videos and corroborated by witnesses, medical officials, and school staff, adds to a growing body of evidence that educational institutions are becoming deliberate targets in a broader campaign of pressure and displacement.
Why did settlers target the school?
Sources do not specify a direct motive for choosing the school, but witnesses and the headteacher indicate settlers arrived with intent to harm students, using gunfire for the first time during an incursion. Local residents say such attacks are part of a pattern aimed at displacing communities by making daily life, including education, untenable.
What was the Israeli military’s role in the incident?
The IDF said it sent troops after reports of stones thrown at an Israeli vehicle, and that it intervened to break up a violent clash. A military source confirmed a reservist involved had been suspended pending investigation, with his weapon confiscated. Witnesses said settlers were followed by soldiers, but the military maintains it acted to restore order.
