Israeli settlers rampage through a West Bank village, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding 25
Associated PressApr 13
West Bank: One Dead, Dozens Injured in Israeli Settlers Raid
The Facts
At least one Palestinian was killed and roughly 25 others were injured after hundreds of Israeli settlers raided homes and opened fire at residents in the Palestinian village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank on Friday.
Amin Abu-Alia, head of the village council and a relative of the deceased, claimed an estimated 1K Israeli settlers surrounded the village midday on Friday, before around 500 raided it. Videos from the incident show plumes of smoke billowing from dozens of cars and buildings that had been set ablaze.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This incident is among the latest in a troubling trend of increasing settler violence in the West Bank that has accompanied Israel's attacks on Gaza after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7. The US, including Pres. Joe Biden, has rightly raised concerns about the surge in settler violence.
Pro-Palestine narrative
In violation of international law, Israel continues to expand the number of settlements outside its internationally recognized borders, continuing to take Palestinian land with complete impunity. There can be no prospect of a Palestinian state if these war crimes continue without punishment.
Pro-Israel narrative
These riots broke out after 14-year-old Binyamin Ahimeir went missing, feared to be kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank. The settlers attacked the village in an attempt to rescue the teenager.