Palestinian School Adds Barbed Wire as Settler Attacks Leave Parents Terrified for Their Children's Safetya

On the first day of the new school year, headteacher Bassam al‑Assaf arrived before dawn to walk the perimeter of his boys' school in al‑Mughayyir, where barbed wire and newly reinforced gates now ring the playground after months of settler violence that residents say has left six villagers dead since January, including three pupils.

'We are scared,' al‑Assaf said. 'The students are afraid, and their parents are afraid.'

Among those killed was 14‑year‑old Aws al‑Naasan, shot dead outside the school gates in April. Israeli media reported that an army reservist travelling with other civilians opened fire after stones were allegedly thrown at his vehicle. The Israeli military said the reservist got out and fired at 'suspects' during a violent incident; he was later suspended, and an investigation was opened.

English teacher Waheed Abu Naem said two younger pupils ran into his classroom warning that settlers were near the school wall. As he tried to move children through the gate, a settler opened fire. 'When I turned him onto his back, I saw lots of blood coming from his nose and mouth, and the bullet in his head,' Waheed said. 'We lost him.' He recalled bullets striking the school building as pupils sheltered behind classroom walls.

Summer of Killings Leaves Families Considering Flight

Two more pupils and a 19‑year‑old former pupil were shot dead during incursions in the village over the summer, according to residents; the circumstances of who fired the fatal shots in each case were not independently confirmed. The Israeli army has said its forces responded to instigators of 'a violent riot' in relation to such incidents.

Some parents hesitated to send their children back this term. Al‑Assaf has since encircled the compound with barbed wire, reinforced the gates and arranged for ambulances to wait outside daily. A rota of parents now stands guard.

'I came because it makes the children feel their parents are with them,' said Haroon Bishara, whose sons are in first and second grade. 'We fear for our children more this year.'

A Child Shot on the Family Farm

At the end of July, 9‑year‑old Salim Abu Rahma was shot while playing on his family's farm. His father, Sami, said the man responsible lived in a nearby outpost and had fired at Salim a week earlier; the Israeli army was asked to respond to allegations that soldiers are protecting settler incursions around the village but did not comment before publication.

The regional settlers' council said an off‑duty soldier had been arrested over the shooting, adding in a statement that it 'opposes any act of violence that violates the law' and rejected claims that lawful grazing or Jewish presence in the area was part of any deliberate campaign against residents.

UN Warns of Pattern as Toll Rises

The UN and the International Court of Justice have said Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes. A UN Commission of Inquiry report published in June found a broader pattern of settlers targeting Palestinian children across the West Bank; Israel's government rejected the report as a 'libellous sham'.

UN figures show 316 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces or settlers between the start of 2025 and the end of July 2026, alongside 20 Israeli deaths over the same period.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said those behind attacks are a small extremist fringe. In al‑Mughayyir, parents say that distinction offers little reassurance as they weigh whether to stay on their land or leave.