On the afternoon of March 7, an Israeli settler known to local residents opened fire on Palestinians in Khirbet Wadi al-Rakheem in Masafer Yatta, killing Amir Mohammad Shanaran and critically injuring his brother.

According to medical sources and local anti-settlement activist Osama Makhamreh, Amir Mohammad Shanaran (28) was shot in the neck and killed, while his brother Khaled Mohammad Shanaran (33) was shot with live ammunition and hospitalized in critical condition.

Witnesses said the brothers were near their home when armed settlers from the illegal settlement of Susya opened fire on them.

Casualties:

Martyr:

1. Amir Mohammad Shanaran (28)

Severly injured:

2. Khaled Mohammad Shanaran (33)

During the same attack, several members of the Shanaran family were injured while attempting to confront the settlers.

1. The brothers’ father was severely beaten, suffering head injuries and bruises.

2. Their aunt sustained a fractured leg.

3. Their uncle and two cousins were also beaten, leaving them with multiple bruises.

In total, five family members were hospitalized after severe physical assaults during the attack.

Israeli Army statement:

The Israeli military said the shooter was a reservist soldier who arrived after reports of clashes between settlers and Palestinians.

Israeli Military Police said a preliminary investigation had found that the shooter was a reservist soldier who arrived on the scene after being alerted to the confrontations between Palestinians and settlers. According to the IDF, troops and police officers were dispatched to a Palestinian village in the Masafer Yatta area “following a report of a violent confrontation between Israeli civilians and several Palestinians, in which several individuals were injured.” Military police opened an investigation into the incident, the findings of which will be submitted to the Military Advocate General for review, the IDF said. The Israel Police also launched an investigation and collected findings at the scene.

Investigation of the Naboth's Vineyard @nabothVin org:

In the Palestinian village of Susya, last Saturday (7 March 2026), tragedy struck. Amir Muhammad Shanran was shot and killed, and his brother Khaled critically wounded. What happened that day is only the latest chapter in a story that began nearly 30 years ago : the perpetrators belong to the Luski family, settlers living in an illegal outpost at the archaeological site known as Ancient Susya. The outpost was established decades ago on land expropriated by the Israeli state in 1986. Although demolition orders were issued, they were never enforced. Over the years, the family received state support—including a mortgage from the WZO Settlement Division intended for carpentry and livestock—allowing them to expand their presence. Originally sheep farmers, the Luskis eventually moved into cattle ranching, building an illegal cowshed near their home. The herd routinely trespasses onto Palestinian fields, destroying crops.

On Saturday, March 7, 2026, the Luki family drove their cattle more than a kilometer into Shanran farmland, sparking a confrontation. When the Shanaran brothers tried to drive the cows away, Luria Luski, armed with a weapon supplied by the Israeli army, opened fire. The video footage shows Amir lying motionless, while the cows continued grazing calmly nearby—a stark contrast to the violence unfolding.

Violence runs in the family. Luria’s father, Gadi Luski, and brother, Shem Tov Luski, have long records of attacks on Palestinians, including incidents so severe they occasionally led to prosecution. Yet accountability remains rare.

This killing is not an isolated event. In the same week, four other Palestinians were shot by settlers in nearby villages. Experience shows that perpetrators rarely face consequences—even when attacks are recorded on video.

The IDF’s response to the Shanran killing illustrates how normalized such violence has become. Their statement described the shooter as “an IDF reservist who arrived following a report of an assault” and noted that two Palestinians were hit, with one dying from his wounds.

In the West Bank today, under a government that often turns a blind eye, any Israeli holding a weapon has, in effect, a license to kill Palestinians. And in Susya, decades of state-backed settlement expansion and unchecked settler violence have made that deadly reality painfully clear.

Broader context:

According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers since the beginning of 2026, and 40 Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023.