Palestinian parents fear for children's lives at school as settler attacks grow

September 8, 2026 at 02:12 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Six people, including three pupils, have been killed in al-Mughayyir this year amid a surge in settler-related violence. The head-teacher of al-Mughayyir boys school installed barbed wire and reinforced gates before the new school year. Parents now volunteer outside the school all day as an extra layer of protection.

Key Facts

Six people, including three pupils at al-Mughayyir boys school, have been killed in al-Mughayyir this year in a surge of settler-related violence.
14-year-old Aws al-Naasan was shot dead by a settler outside the school gates in April.
Over the summer, two more pupils were shot dead by Israeli forces during settler attacks and incursions in the village, along with a 19-year-old who had just left the school.
The Israeli military said stones had been hurled at a car carrying civilians including a reservist soldier, and the reservist fired at suspects.
Head-teacher Bassam al-Assaf installed a long barbed-wire fence around the compound and reinforced the school gates.

School Under Threat

On the first day of the new Palestinian school year, head-teacher Bassam al-Assaf arrived at al-Mughayyir boys school before dawn, walking past freshly installed barbed wire fencing and reinforced gates. The school sits on the edge of al-Mughayyir, an isolated village north-east of Ramallah, increasingly surrounded by Jewish settler outposts and regularly blocked by Israeli forces operating an ad-hoc checkpoint at the entrance. English teacher Waheed Abu Naem described the April shooting: "I was inside my classroom and two little students came rushing to tell me there were settlers close to the school wall." Mobile phone footage shows the moment 14-year-old Aws al-Naasan was shot outside the school gates. Waheed Abu Naem said bullets continued hitting the school building as students hid behind classroom walls or lay on the floor.

Casualties and Military Response

Six people, including three pupils at the school, have been killed in al-Mughayyir this year in a surge of settler-related violence against Palestinians. The Israeli military said in a statement that stones had been hurled at a car carrying civilians including a reservist soldier, and that the reservist got out and fired at suspects. Israeli media reported the reservist was later suspended from duty and an investigation launched. Over the summer, two more pupils were shot dead by Israeli forces during settler attacks and incursions in the village, along with a 19-year-old who had just left the school. In both cases, Israel's army said its forces responded to instigators of a violent riot.

Parental Fears and Protection

With three empty desks in the classrooms, some parents were reluctant to send their children back for the new school year. Bassam al-Assaf installed a long barbed-wire fence around the compound and reinforced the school gates to try to reassure parents. Ambulance crews are now stationed on the road outside, and several parents have volunteered to wait outside the school all day as an extra layer of protection. Head-teacher Bassam al-Assaf said: "We are scared. The students are afraid, and their parents are afraid."