3 Palestinians killed in West Bank village incident

Palestinians attend the funeral of three Palestinians in the village of Khirbet Abu Falah, north of Ramallah in the West Bank, on March 8, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Sunday that three Palestinians were killed in an incident in the West Bank overnight.

According to the statement, IDF forces and Israeli Border Police arrived in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Abu Falah, north of Ramallah, following a reported attack by Israeli civilians on Palestinians.

The IDF forces used riot control measures to disperse the rioters, said the statement, adding that two Palestinians were killed by gunfire and another died of suffocation.

Palestine's official news agency WAFA reported that the victims were Thaer Farouq Hamayel, 24, and Farea Jawdat Hamayel, 57, both allegedly shot in the head by Israeli civilians, and Mohammad Hassan Murra, 55, who died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces.

The agency added that five other residents sustained live-fire injuries.

Commander of the Israeli army's Central Command Avi Bluth said the incident was unacceptable and dangerous, adding that the actions distracted Israel from its mission of defense and counterterrorism, and undermined security and stability in the region.

The incident came a day after a Palestinian was killed and three others seriously injured by Israeli gunfire in the Wadi al-Rakhim area of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, according to Palestinian sources.

The settlers' attacks reflect a "dangerous escalation" intended to impose a new reality on the Palestinians, said the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

It accused Israel of exploiting the ongoing regional tensions to escalate violence and accelerate policies aimed at displacing Palestinians and expanding settlements.

The ministry further denounced the Israeli government for inciting violence, and arming and protecting settlers, calling on the international community to impose sanctions on the settlement enterprise and protect the Palestinians.