An Israeli teenager whose disappearance sparked unrest among Israeli settlers in the West Bank has been found dead, authorities said, threatening to further escalate tensions in the Israeli-occupied territory.
Dozens of Israelis and Palestinians were injured in clashes late Saturday at multiple locations in the West Bank, the Israeli military said in a statement. According to Palestinian witnesses, Israeli extremists attacked at least two villages in the area, trying to burn Palestinian property and clashing with residents.
Binyamin Achimair, 14, left a West Bank farming settlement on Friday morning to herd sheep but never returned, according to Israeli police. His body was later discovered by Israeli troops, who said without providing evidence that he had been “murdered in a terrorist attack.”
Following Benjamin’s disappearance on Friday, armed Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian village near Ramallah, burning several buildings and cars, according to Palestinian officials and the Israeli rights group Yesh Din. One Palestinian man, Jihad Abu Aliya, was killed in the clashes and at least 25 people were injured, according to village chief Amin Abu Aliya.
Benjamin’s death and the possibility of further Israeli retaliation are likely to intensify violence in the West Bank, where some 500,000 Israeli settlers live alongside some 2.7 million Palestinians. According to the United Nations, more than 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and east Jerusalem since Hamas-led attacks on October 7 triggered an Israeli operation in Gaza.
The Israeli military announced on Saturday that it would strengthen its forces in the West Bank by sending additional companies and police.
Israeli mob attacks resumed Saturday in Mugahir and the nearby Palestinian village of Douma, according to Israeli security officials and Palestinian witnesses. The official added that Israeli settlers, some of whom were armed, entered the village and there were reports that they fired shots.
In Douma, the attackers “covered the whole village” and some of them were armed, village resident Naser Dawabsheh said. They set fire to several buildings and cars, sending thick smoke overhead, he added. He said Israeli soldiers “rather than dispersing the settlers, protected them and fired tear gas at anyone who came close.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least three Palestinians were injured in clashes in Mugayyel on Saturday, one of them seriously.
“Without order, there is no security,” said Na’asan Na’asan, 28, a resident of Mugayel. “They were shooting at us – why didn’t anyone come to protect us?”
Veteran Israeli photojournalist Shaul Golan, 74, said in an interview that Israeli settlers also grabbed and beat him when he tried to take photos in Mugayel, then destroyed his equipment. Some of them were wearing masks and others were wearing Israeli military uniforms, he added.
“I asked the soldiers there to help me and save me,” Mr. Golan said. “But then I realized they weren’t really soldiers — they were working with them.”
The Biden administration says Israel must do more to combat extremist settler violence in Israel and has imposed sanctions on several people involved in attacks against Palestinians. Israeli leaders condemned the move as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
On Friday afternoon, as Israeli troops and police searched for Benyamin, armed Israeli settlers stormed Mugayel and set fire to buildings and cars, Mr. Abu Alia said. In the video circulated by Yesh Din, thick smoke can be seen billowing from some burning cars and buildings.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Benjamin’s “heinous murder” in a statement and vowed that Israel would “settlement” with his killers. Without explicitly mentioning settler atrocities, he told the Israeli public to “allow security forces to carry out their work without interference” while the killings were investigated.
Knesset opposition leader Yair Lapid also condemned the teenager’s murder. But he also condemned settler attacks, saying “violent disturbances by settlers are dangerous and illegal conduct and they are hindering the actions of local forces.”
The Israeli military confirmed that there were a number of “violent disturbances” in the area during Friday’s search efforts. The Israeli military said that at one point, “rocks were thrown at Israeli soldiers,” causing them to fire back. Israeli police and soldiers also expelled Israeli settlers who entered Mugayel, the military said.
Israeli soldiers arrived in the area “even before the settlers arrived” but did not prevent them from entering villages and burning buildings and cars, Naasan said. It is unclear how Jihad Abu Aliyah, a resident of the village, was killed.
Rights groups have long accused Israeli authorities of not doing enough to prevent violent attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers, with perpetrators rarely caught. An Israeli police spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on whether any Israelis were arrested in the incident.
Last February, Israeli settler attacks devastated the Palestinian town of Huwara in the northern West Bank. At least one Palestinian was killed and 390 people were injured in the unrest, according to Palestinian officials, with Israelis burning some buildings and cars and terrified Palestinians fleeing burning homes.
