Israeli settlers opened fire on a secondary school in the occupied West Bank town of al-Mughayyir on Tuesday, killing two people - including one child - and leaving several others injured.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health named the two victims as 14-year-old Aws Hamdi al-Naasan and 32-year-old Jihad Marzouq Abu Naim. Witnesses who spoke to The New Arab said the settlers deliberately fired at the students with the intention of killing them. They added that Israeli forces provided cover for the settlers, while beating back residents who were attempting to rescue their children.
Testimonies of the residents and the wounded, taken at the Specialized Arab Hospital, suggest that the attack was premeditated, with the settlers having attempted to divert attention away from the school ahead of the attack.
Faraj Naasan, uncle of the slain student Aws Naasan, said the settlers attempted to storm the village in the morning from the southern side. After a confrontation with residents, the settlers withdrew to an area near the school.
Eyewitness Kifah Naasan, who went to the school after hearing about settler activity nearby, said the Israelis fired directly at the school's windows, classrooms, and balconies. The army arrived shortly after and began dispersing the Palestinian residents and firing teargas at them to keep them away from the school.
Naasan suggested that the soldiers gave the settlers enough time to carry out the attack, arriving only after 15-20 minutes and pushing away the Palestinian residents. He described harrowing scenes of terrified students trying to escape, crawling out through balconies before residents were able to evacuate them.
This account aligns with that of a volunteer paramedic who accompanied one of the injured to the hospital and spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal.
The paramedic said settlers attacked the school directly without prior clashes in the western area or with the students, positioning themselves on a hill overlooking the school.
He added that residents had rushed toward the area upon hearing about the settlers, but were unable to reach it before the shooting began.
He witnessed three settlers deliberately firing at children attempting to flee classrooms or even just stepping outside to see what was happening.
According to the paramedic, the settlers parked their vehicles on a road west of the village known as al-Kassarat, then climbed the hill overlooking the school, standing only about 50 meters away.
He noted that one student was shot in the head, and another who followed him was shot in the hand.
Testimony from injured resident Atta Allah Abu Alia, 63, highlighted what he described as coordination between Israeli forces and settlers. Speaking from his hospital bed at the Specialized Arab Hospital, he said he was on his way to noon prayers when he heard of the attack and headed toward the school using an alternative route.
Near the school, an Israeli military jeep arrived; when soldiers saw him, they immediately dismounted and fired live ammunition at him without warning, injuring his leg.
“They tried to protect the settlers and cover for them,” Abu Alia said, suggesting that the attack was part of attempts to intimidate and displace al-Mughayyir's Palestinian residents.
One of the deceased - Aws Hamdi Naasan - was the son of the late Hamdi Naasan, who was also killed by settlers in an attack in 2019.
"It seems history is repeating itself. This confirms that the occupation continues its arrogant and criminal policy against the unarmed Palestinian people, through killing, destruction, confiscation, and everything one can imagine," family member Faraj Naasan said.
He added that his nephew Hamdi had been courageous, attempting to transport the wounded during a settlers’ attack in 2019. He successfully evacuated some injured people before being shot while trying to rescue another, leading to his death. Today, his son Aws has followed in his footsteps more than seven years later.
For many years, the village of al-Mughayyir has faced repeated attacks by settlers, alongside raids and arrests by Israeli forces. Live fire has frequently been used, resulting in deaths and injuries over the years.
Attacks on farmers, their land, and livestock, often involving theft, have become increasingly frequent, with residents saying hardly a day passes without settler violence.
Many believe these attacks aim to force them to leave and seize their land for Israeli settlement expansion.