Palestinian school year begins under shadow of settler violence in West Bank

On the first day of school, headteacher Bassam al Assaf arrived before dawn, passing freshly installed barbed wire fencing and reinforced gates. “We are scared,” he told the BBC. “The students are afraid, and their parents are afraid.”

Six people, including three pupils at the school, have been killed in al-Mughayyir this year in a surge of settler-related violence against Palestinians. One of them, 14-year-old Aws al-Naasan, was shot dead by a settler outside the school gates in April.

English teacher Waheed Abu Naem, whose brother Jihad was killed by an Israeli soldier in the same attack, recalled the moment: “I was inside my classroom and two little students came rushing to tell me there were settlers close to the school wall.” Waheed said he was trying to move pupils to safety when the settler fired. Mobile phone footage captured the moment Aws was shot. “When I turned him onto his back, I saw lots of blood coming from his nose and mouth, and the bullet in his head,” Waheed said. “We lost him.” Bullets continued hitting the school building as students hid behind classroom walls or lay on the floor.

The Israeli military said at the time that stones had been hurled at a car carrying “civilians including a reservist soldier,” and that the reservist fired at suspects. Israeli media reported the reservist was later suspended from duty and an investigation launched.

Since that day, the casualties have grown, though further details were not provided. Israeli protesters have also called for an end to settler violence, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Why This Matters

The attack on a school — a place meant to be safe — underscores the escalating danger for Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.
The incident highlights growing settler-related violence, which has drawn condemnation from Israeli protesters and international observers alike.
With the new school year beginning, parents and teachers face the daily reality of protecting children from armed attacks, raising questions about security and accountability.

Background

Al-Mughayyir is a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, an area where Israeli settlements have expanded for decades. Tensions between settlers and Palestinian residents have periodically flared, but recent months have seen a notable increase in violence. The Israeli military sometimes intervenes, but its response has been controversial, as in the April incident where a reservist was involved in the shooting.

Key Perspectives

Palestinian parents and teachers: They live in fear for their children's safety, with schools becoming sites of danger rather than learning. They demand protection and accountability for attacks. Israeli settlers: Some justify violence as self-defence against stone-throwing, though the killing of a 14-year-old outside his school has drawn widespread criticism. Israeli protesters: A segment of Israeli society has publicly called for an end to settler violence, indicating internal disagreement over the issue. Israeli military: It investigates incidents like the April shooting but has not yet released findings, leaving accountability uncertain.

What to Watch

The outcome of the Israeli military investigation into the April shooting
Whether further violence disrupts the school year in al-Mughayyir or other West Bank villages
Whether Israeli protests against settler violence gain momentum and influence policy

ZOTPAPER