Palestinian Killed by IDF Fire After Settlers Enter Village

A 20-year-old Palestinian man, Omar Tobaasi, was killed by Israeli army gunfire to the head overnight in the village of Hajjah, near Qalqilya. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that two other Palestinians were wounded by live ammunition, one critically in the chest and a 17-year-old in the thigh.

The incident began when settlers from a farm adjacent to Hajjah entered the village after Palestinians threw stones at and downed a drone. The settlers claimed they entered to retrieve the drone, but clashes erupted with residents. An Israeli military force called to the scene responded by firing at Palestinians who, according to the IDF, were throwing stones.

The IDF stated that the gunfire was directed at "central instigators" of the riot. A security official elaborated that the soldiers, arriving as a small unit, felt endangered by a large Palestinian crowd throwing stones and fired at key instigators. The incident is under investigation.

Uziel Vatik, head of the Kedumim local council, described the nearby farm, "Sha'ar Ha'oz," as a vital security perimeter for Kedumim. He asserted that "terrorists" attempted to attack the new expansion of "Sha'ar Ha'oz," downed a security drone, and that the military force encountered violent rioting and stone-throwing, responding with fire that killed one "terrorist" and wounded others. He added that the location is strategic and has been targeted previously.

Meanwhile, under pressure from the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the evacuation of illegal outposts in Area B and instructed ministers not to criticize IDF commanders on the matter, offering them backing. However, officials note these evacuations create a frustrating cycle, with Palestinians returning to evacuated sites. The focus, they say, is on violent outposts, diverting forces, and the coming period may see Palestinian despair alongside unprecedented settlement growth.