By Bassam Abu Al-Rob
NABLUS, March 15, 2026 (WAFA) – In the quiet town of Qusra, south of Nablus, a group of young men scrambled to gather their strength after harrowing minutes under the relentless whine of gunfire. It was a long day of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, yet they found themselves in a battle to save the life of 28-year-old Amir Odeh, who had been shot by Israeli settlers while defending his town from an armed incursion.
The clock was ticking toward the iftar meal on the 25th day of Ramadan—a time the Odeh family had observed for years with quiet routine. But on this day, routine was shattered. Amir was killed, his father injured, and several others wounded, all within moments that blurred into a nightmare.
Islam Odeh, a relative and witness to the attack, recounts the horror in vivid detail. "The settlers fired at Amir, but they didn’t stop there. They beat him and stabbed him multiple times while he was already wounded," he said.
Islam tried to assist his father during the assault, only to be targeted himself. "They hit him with knives and sticks—on his shoulders, legs, and head. He fell, and in that moment, I realized death was inevitable. Then the settlers opened fire on me wildly. I was hit by two bullets that tore through both my legs," he added.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the killing of Amir Odeh, stating he was fatally shot in the chest. Two others were wounded with live bullets in the knees and thighs, while his father suffered additional injuries from blunt force during the attack.
Zein Kanaan, another wounded resident receiving treatment at Rafidia Governmental Hospital, recalled, "It can’t even be described as minutes—these were moments. The settlers began shooting wildly. Amir fell in front of us, and I, along with other villagers, was injured."
Hani Odeh, mayor of Qusra, confirmed that armed settlers attacked the al-Kark area west of the town, firing live rounds at homes and residents. Four civilians were shot or beaten and were first treated at the local Algeria Medical Center before Amir was moved to Rafidia Governmental Hospital for resuscitation, where he later died.
This tragic event echoes a previous attack in the nearby village of Qaryut on March 2, when brothers Mohammed, 52, and Faheem Muammar, 48, were killed defending their village from a similar incursion, alongside three others who were injured.
With Amir Odeh’s death, the number of Palestinians killed by settlers since the start of the month has risen to seven, following more than 192 attacks in two weeks amid regional tension, according to the Anti-Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
The commission noted that since the start of this year, eight Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks, and since October 7, 2023, the toll has reached 44. Chairman of the commission, Minister Muayyad Shaaban, stressed that these assaults are part of an organized campaign aimed at instilling fear and restricting Palestinian presence in their lands, often carried out under the protection of Israeli forces.
The commission’s latest report highlighted a disturbing trend: settlers exploiting regional and international distraction to intensify attacks on Palestinian villages, including shootings, arson, property destruction, and on-the-ground impositions that reshape the geography of the West Bank.
M.N
