Ramallah: Israeli illegal settlers killed two Palestinians Friday in northern Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and set up a tent on top of a hill in the town of Sa'ir near Hebron in preparation for a new settlement outpost.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Saif al-Din Kamel Abdul Karim Muslat, 23, died after being beaten by illegal settlers in the town of Sinjil. Hours later, the ministry confirmed that Mohammed al-Shalabi, 23, was killed by gunfire from illegal settlers in the same area. The medical report indicated that al-Shalabi died from a live bullet wound to the chest, which exited through his back, and he was left to bleed for an extended period.

In Sa'ir, a northern Hebron town, illegal settlers erected a tent on Jabal al-Hadib hill, signaling the establishment of a new settlement outpost. Bassam Al-Qawasmeh, a local landowner, explained that settlers had previously fenced off hundreds of dunums on the hill, restricting access to the landowners with the protection of the Israeli army. Al-Qawasmeh accused the Israeli government of backing and inciting these actions, cautioning that settlers often begin by seizing small areas, only to gradually expand and confiscate larger tracts of land.

He emphasized that Palestinians are determined to defend their land at any cost. This development follows the recent establishment of another outpost on Jabal al-Jumjuma in Halhul, north of Hebron, where settlers placed mobile rooms and raised an Israeli flag.

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported that as of the end of 2024, there are approximately 770,000 illegal settlers in the West Bank, residing in 180 settlements and 256 outposts, which include 138 agricultural or grazing outposts. The Commission also documented 2,153 settler attacks in the first half of the year, resulting in the deaths of four Palestinians.

Since the onset of Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, at least 998 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, as per the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a significant ruling last July, the International Court of Justice deemed Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and urged for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.