Israeli settler gunfire kills two Palestinian brothers in the occupied West Bank

JERUSALEM — Israeli settler gunfire killed two Palestinian brothers on Monday in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, as settler violence has surged in the territory and Israel intensifies its military presence because of the new war across the region.

In a statement, the health ministry identified the victims as Mohammad and Faheem Mo’mar. Mohammad was shot in the head and Faheem was hit in the pelvis. They were killed in their village of Qaryout, in the northern West Bank. Three others were wounded by gunfire, including a third brother, prominent Israeli rights group B’Tselem said.

The group said ambulances couldn't reach the wounded for over an hour because of checkpoint closures Israel has imposed on the territory since the start of the latest war. Israel says the closures are temporary and a security measure. But Palestinians say they choke off movement in the territory, with potentially deadly consequences.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Monday's shootings bring the number of Palestinians killed by settler violence this year to three, and come after Israeli settlers shot and killed 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a Palestinian American man, on Feb. 19.

Palestinian media and B’Tselem posted videos to social media showing a group of around 10 settlers standing adjacent to a Palestinian home in Qaryout. One settler can be seen aiming his rifle at the top floor of the home. Another video shows Palestinians rushing as they carry a bleeding man toward medical care.

The wounded were brought to a hospital in the central West Bank city of Nablus, where The Associated Press filmed men grieving over the body of one of the brothers. Villagers helped doctors pull bloodied bodies onto operating tables and cover the dead and injured with blankets.

Adham Johary, who lives in the village, told the AP that a settler had been seen using a bulldozer on the edge of town and fled when he saw young Palestinian men approaching him.

“Less than 10 minutes later, more than 10 settlers attacked nearby houses. The young residents attempted to defend the area, and random gunfire was directed at the young men and the entire area,” he added.

Palestinians and rights groups say that Israeli authorities routinely fail to prosecute settlers or hold them accountable for violence. The U.N. humanitarian office says that last year it documented the highest daily average of settler attacks causing death, injury or property damage — five — since it began recording such incidents in 2006.

The military body responsible for administering the territory, COGAT, on Saturday said it has closed crossings in the West Bank and Gaza for security reasons. Palestinians in the West Bank say the movement restrictions have made it hard to access services, blocking some villages from urban areas where there are hospitals and shops.