UN chief demands probe into killing of Palestinian-American teen by Israeli settlers

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of a 19-year-old dual Palestinian-American citizen in the occupied West Bank and demanded accountability, his spokesman said Friday. Nasrallah Abu Siyam was shot and beaten in an attack by Israeli settlers in the village of Mukhmas, with three other Palestinians wounded in the same incident.

UN Demands

Guterres called for "a prompt, thorough and transparent" investigation into the circumstances and for those responsible to be held to account, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news conference. The secretary-general extended "heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the victim." He urged Israel "to take concrete steps to halt and prevent all acts of violence by Israeli settlers against the Palestinian population" in line with its "obligations as the occupying power."

West Bank Violence Escalates

Dujarric reported that between Feb. 3-16, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, bringing the 2026 total to nine, including two children. "Since January 2023, and as of 16 February, some 880 Palestinian families—over 4,700 people—have been displaced across the West Bank due to settler attacks and access restrictions," he added. Israel has intensified West Bank operations since launching its Gaza campaign Oct. 8, 2023. Palestinians view the escalation—killings, arrests, displacement, settlement expansion—as preparation for formal annexation. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation illegal and called for evacuation of all settlements.