Israeli settlers kill 19-year-old Palestinian American, officers and witnesses say : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8563x5709+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4f%2F53%2Fc86adc87442b828e675c1713f10a%2Fap26050415877532.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8563x5709+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4f%2F53%2Fc86adc87442b828e675c1713f10a%2Fap26050415877532.jpg" class="img" alt="Mourners give condolences to Mohammad Abu Siyam, the father of Palestinian-American Nasrallah Abu Siyam, 19, who according to the Palestinian Health Ministry was shot by settlers on Wednesday night, during his funeral in the West Bank village of Mukhmas, east of Ramallah, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)" fetchpriority="high"/> Mourners give condolences to Mohammad Abu Siyam, the daddy of Palestinian-American Nasrallah Abu Siyam, 19, who in accordance with the Palestinian Well being Ministry was shot by settlers on Wednesday evening, throughout his funeral within the West Financial institution village of Mukhmas, east of Ramallah, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Nasser Nasser/AP disguise caption

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Nasser Nasser/AP MUKHMAS, West Financial institution — Israeli settlers within the occupied West Financial institution shot and killed a Palestinian American man throughout an assault on a village, the Palestinian Well being Ministry and a witness stated Thursday.

Raed Abu Ali, a resident of Mukhmas, stated a gaggle of settlers got here to the village Wednesday afternoon the place they attacked a farmer, prompting clashes after residents intervened. Israeli forces later arrived, and in the course of the violence armed settlers killed 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam and injured a number of others.

Abu Ali stated that the military shot tear gasoline, sound grenades and reside ammunition. Israel's navy acknowledged utilizing what it known as "riot dispersal strategies" after receiving reviews of Palestinians throwing rocks however denied that its forces fired in the course of the clashes.

"When the settlers noticed the military, they have been inspired and began taking pictures reside bullets," Abu Ali stated. He added that they clubbed these injured with sticks after that they had fallen to the bottom.

The Palestinian Ministry of Well being confirmed Abu Siyam's demise from important wounds sustained Wednesday afternoon close to the village east of Ramallah.

Abu Siyam's killing is the most recent in a surge in violence within the occupied West Financial institution. Israeli forces and settlers killed 240 Palestinians final yr, in accordance with the United Nations Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Palestinians killed 17 Israelis over the identical interval, six of whom have been troopers. The Palestinian Authority's Wall and Settlement Resistance Fee stated Abu Siyam was the primary Palestinian killed by settlers in 2026.

Mukhmas and its surrounding space — most of which lies below Israeli civil and navy administration — have develop into a scorching spot for settler assaults, together with arson and assaults, in addition to the development of outposts that Israeli legislation considers unlawful.

The Israeli navy stated late Wednesday that unnamed suspects shot at Palestinians, who have been later evacuated for medical remedy. It didn't say whether or not any have been arrested.

Abu Siyam's mom advised The Related Press that he was an American citizen, making him the second Palestinian American particular person to be killed by Israeli settlers in lower than a yr.

A U.S. embassy spokesperson stated they "condemn this violence."

Palestinians and rights teams say authorities routinely fail to prosecute settlers or maintain them accountable for violence.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1200x792+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1a%2Fd3%2F505a02d849e297a5e6c677edce5c%2Fap26044528815841.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1200x792+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1a%2Fd3%2F505a02d849e297a5e6c677edce5c%2Fap26044528815841.jpg" class="img" alt="This is a locator map of Israel and the Palestinian Territories." loading="lazy"/> This can be a locator map of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. AP disguise caption

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AP UN says Israel's acts in West Financial institution could also be ethnic cleaning The U.N. human rights workplace on Thursday accused Israel of warfare crimes and stated practices that displace Palestinians and alter the demographic composition of the occupied West Financial institution "increase issues over ethnic cleaning."

The Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, citing findings collected November 2024 to October 2025, stated Israel was engaged in "concerted and accelerating effort to consolidate annexation" whereas sustaining a system "to take care of oppression and domination of Palestinians."

Residents of Palestinian villages and herding communities have been more and more displaced as Israeli settlements and outposts broaden. Because the begin of the Israel–Hamas warfare, the Israeli rights group B'Tselem says about 45 Palestinian communities have been emptied out fully amid Israeli demolition orders and settler assaults.

Moreover, the workplace stated Israeli navy operations within the northern West Financial institution "employed means and strategies designed for warfare" together with deadly airstrikes and forcibly transferring civilians from their houses. It additionally stated Israel "forbade" residents from returning to their houses in northern West Financial institution refugee camps. The operation, which Israel stated was aimed in opposition to militants, displaced tens of 1000's of Palestinians.

The report additionally accused Palestinian safety forces of utilizing pointless deadly power in the identical areas, killing at the least eight individuals, and famous that the Palestinian Authority had engaged in "intimidation, detention and ill-treatment of journalists, human rights defenders and different people deemed important of its rule."

Neither Israel's Overseas Ministry nor the Palestinian Authority responded to requests for remark. Israel has repeatedly accused the U.N. rights workplace of anti-Israel bias.

Final yr, the U.N. human rights monitor warned of what it known as "an unfolding genocide in Gaza" with "circumstances of life more and more incompatible with (Palestinians') continued existence." Their report on Thursday additionally warned of demographic shifts in Gaza elevating issues of ethnic cleaning.

Report finds imprisoned Palestinian journalists have been tortured The Committee to Defend Journalists stated that dozens of Palestinian journalists who have been detained in Israel in the course of the warfare in Gaza skilled circumstances together with bodily assaults, compelled stress positions, sensory deprivation, sexual violence and medical neglect.

CPJ documented the detention of at the least 94 Palestinian journalists and one media employee in the course of the warfare, from the West Financial institution, Gaza and Israel Thirty are nonetheless in custody, CPJ stated.

Half of the journalists, the report discovered, have been by no means charged with against the law and have been held below Israel's administrative detention system, which permits for suspects deemed safety dangers to be held for six months and might be renewed indefinitely.

Israel's jail companies didn't instantly reply to a request for remark in regards to the report, however rejected the same report in January about circumstances for Palestinian prisoners as "false allegations," contending it operates lawfully, is topic to oversight and evaluations complaints.

UN growth chief says eradicating Gaza rubble will take 7 years The huge destruction throughout Gaza will take at the least seven years simply to take away the rubble, in accordance with the United Nations Growth Program.

Alexander De Croo, the previous Belgian prime minister who simply returned from Gaza, stated that the UNDP had eliminated simply 0.5% of the rubble and other people in Gaza are experiencing "the worst dwelling circumstances that I've ever seen."

De Croo stated 90% of Gaza's 2.2 million individuals reside in "very, very rudimentary tents" in the midst of the rubble, which poses well being risks and a hazard from exploding weapons.

He stated UNDP has been in a position to construct 500 improved housing items, and has 4,000 extra which might be prepared, however estimates the true want is 200,000 to 300,000 items. The items are meant for use quickly whereas reconstruction takes place. He known as on Israel to broaden entry for items and gadgets wanted for reconstruction and the personal sector to start growth.