Palestinian schoolboy among two killed by Israeli settlers, amid spate of attacks on education in the West Bank
Palestinian Schoolboy Killed in Israeli Settler Attack, as Education Targets Rise
Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old student, were fatally shot during an Israeli settler assault on a school in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and eyewitness accounts. A video captured the moment a man in military gear, armed with a rifle, advanced toward the village of Al-Mughayyir before taking cover and firing at least eight rounds at the school building.
Activists identified the attacker as a known settler with a history of targeting the village. Local residents confirmed that Al-Mughayyir has been a regular site of settler violence, often occurring daily. The Health Ministry disclosed the victims’ names: Aws Al-Naasan, 14, a ninth-grade student, and Jihad Abu Naim, 32, a school parent.
“It was a disaster. Everybody was screaming. It was unbelievable. I’m still processing it. I don’t know how long it will take for the teachers and students to overcome the shock,” said Bassam Abu-Assaf, the school’s principal.
Abu-Assaf reported that five armed settlers approached the village around noon, with some students in the schoolyard when the gunfire began. The Israeli military stated the attack followed rocks being thrown at a vehicle carrying Israeli passengers, including a reserve soldier, who exited and fired at “suspects” in the area. Officials claimed they deployed troops to the scene and were “aware of the claim” regarding the casualties, with the incident currently under review.
Video footage obtained by CNN shows Aws, the 14-year-old, being struck by gunfire before his friends rushed to him and carried his body away. Abu Naim, the parent, was injured while rushing to the school after hearing the shots, according to Abu-Assaf. The attack left four others wounded, including students and local residents.
Videos from the school’s vicinity depict streets stained with blood, distant gunshots, and a chaotic scene of men of all ages running and shouting for help. Injured boys and adults, one with a bloodied torso, are shown being evacuated from the area.
The attack marks the latest in a wave of escalating violence against Palestinian education. In a separate incident, activists claimed settlers destroyed a school in Hammamat al-Maleh, northern Jordan Valley, on Monday evening. This followed a prior event where a CNN team was detained and beaten by soldiers in the same region last month.
Residents in Hammamat al-Maleh noted that the area has been repeatedly targeted by settlers, displacing its Palestinian population. Activists linked the destruction to a group responsible for constructing an illegal settlement nearby, which they use as a base for attacks. Despite the school’s proximity to an Israeli military base, soldiers made no effort to intervene during the bulldozing, the activists added.
In another case, settlers from the Karmiel settlement installed razor wire near Umm al-Khair in the South Hebron Hills, blocking access for young students. Community leader Khaleel Alhathaleen described the road as critical for school attendance, calling its closure a direct barrier to education.
CNN has sought comments from the Israeli military on these incidents. The Jordan Valley activist group emphasized that the school’s destruction in Hammamat al-Maleh constitutes a systematic breach of Palestinians’ right to education, stating it as a “serious and ongoing violation.”
