Israeli settlers kill two Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli settlers killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Monday, Palestinian officials said.

The Palestinian health ministry named the victims of the attack near Nablus as Abdulrahman Maher Bani Fadel, 30, and Mohammed Ashraf Bani Jame, 21, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The mayor of Aqraba, Salah Bani Jaber, told AFP "dozens of settlers attacked" the nearby hamlet of Khirbet al-Tawil late on Monday.

They "assaulted residents and fired at people in the town leading to the death of two citizens," the mayor said, adding that "the occupation army is still holding the bodies."

The Israeli army told AFP "an initial inquiry suggests that the fatal shootings did not originate from the IDF."

In a statement, it said "earlier today, the IDF received a report regarding a Palestinian suspect who attacked an Israeli shepherd in the area of Gitit.

"A violent exchange developed between Israeli civilians and Palestinians in the area. IDF soldiers were dispatched to the scene and operated to disperse the violent exchange.

"During the incident, two Palestinians were reportedly killed."

On Friday, 14-year-old Israeli shepherd Benjamin Achimeir went missing from the Malachi Hashalom outpost near Ramallah in the West Bank.

Hundreds of settlers backed by Israeli forces then launched raids on nearby villages that left at least two Palestinians dead and dozens wounded.

The attacks intensified after Achimeir was found dead nearby on Saturday and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned what he called a "heinous murder".

The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since early last year, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza on October 7.

At least 468 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers across the West Bank since October 7, according to official Palestinian sources.