A Palestinian man, Thamin Khalil Reda Dawabsheh, 35, was shot dead in the town of Duma, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the incident occurred when Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians, and an off-duty Israeli soldier accompanying the settlers opened fire. The Israeli army claimed that dozens of Palestinians were hurling rocks towards the Israeli civilian and soldier, prompting the soldier to fire “to remove the threat”.
The mayor of Duma described the incident as an Israeli settler attack, stating that Palestinians in the town were “startled” by the settlers, who started assaulting a 14-year-old, leading many Palestinian men to try to defend him. More armed settlers arrived, and they started shooting at the Palestinians, resulting in Dawabsheh’s death. “The settlers started assaulting a 14-year-old, leading many Palestinian men to go and try to defend him,” said Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim. “Later, more armed settlers arrived, and they started shooting at the Palestinians, resulting in the death of Dawabsheh, whose only crime was being on his land”.
This incident is part of a pattern of increased Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. According to Ibrahim, “Every day, we stumble upon more videos showing how Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinians – intimidating them, shooting them, killing them. And they are not being held accountable by the Israeli authorities”. The United Nations has reported that almost 650 Palestinians, including 121 children, have been killed in the territory by Israeli forces and settlers between January 1, 2024, and the start of July 2025. A further 5,269 Palestinians were injured during that period, including 1,029 children.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with many highlighting the need for accountability and an end to settler violence. The Israeli military’s response to such incidents has been questioned, with many arguing that settlers are often allowed to act with impunity. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions and violence in the West Bank, where Palestinians continue to face attacks from Israeli settlers and military forces.
