The West Bank hit by an unprecedented spiral of violence

Israeli settlers fired shots at a school in the West Bank, killing a 14-year-old child and a 32-year-old parent of a student. Israeli NGOs now report the number of Palestinians killed in the past six weeks to be 11.

Two bodies were carried by an angry crowd towards their final resting place. Aws Al-Naasan, a 14-year-old student, and Jihad Abu Naeem, a 32-year-old parent of a student, were shot and killed on Tuesday, April 21 by Israeli settlers, according to witnesses. Four other Palestinians were injured in this attack on the school in the village of Al-Mughayyer. “Settlers attacked the school and started firing real bullets at the building. As soon as we arrived, the army shot at us as we tried to evacuate the students,” testified Kazem al-Hajj Mohammad.

Footage shows a man in military uniform firing a rifle multiple times. It is impossible to determine if these shots caused the death of the two Palestinians, but the Israeli army confirmed that one of its reserve soldiers had opened fire on suspects in the village. “Soldiers were dispatched following reports of stone-throwing at an Israeli vehicle carrying several civilians, including a reservist,” they stated in a press release.

As an investigation has been opened, these two new victims bring the number of Palestinians killed by armed settlers in the occupied West Bank to at least 11 in the past six weeks, according to Israeli NGOs.