On Monday, 2 March 2026, at around 12:00 P.M., several settlers and a settlement guard known to local Palestinian residents arrived with a backhoe at Qaryut farmland, and began working on private land belonging to village residents.
Image
Fahim Mu’amar. Photo courtesy of the family
About seven residents who heard the noise the settlers were making gathered at a spot overlooking the land, near their homes on the edge of the village. They watched what was happening from there and shouted at the settlers. Soon after, a settler in a military uniform and carrying a rifle, known to residents from an outpost he established near the settlement of Shilo, and another settler armed with a handgun, approached the residents. The two settlers ordered them to leave, shoved them, and the settler in uniform fired several shots in the air. The settler in uniform then called for backup on his phone and threatened the residents, saying, “Now you’ll see what I’m going to do to you.”
The residents backed away from the area and went home.
Image
Muhammad Mu’amar. Photo courtesy of the family
After about 10 minutes, some 15 settlers arrived in the area, including the two armed settlers who had come earlier and a third armed settler who was carrying a handgun. Some of the unarmed settlers began throwing stones at several houses, including the home of Muhammad Mu'amar, 52. The residents, joined by other village residents, threw stones back at the settlers to try and drive them away. At the same time, the armed settlers began firing live rounds at the residents.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Mu'amar was standing with his brother Fahim Mu'amar, 48, at his gate, which was closest to the settlers, when the uniformed settler knelt in a sniping position and shot Muhammad in the head. He fell to the ground immediately. The settler then shot Fahim in his right thigh (pelvis), and he fell too.
A third brother, Jamil Mu'amar, 46, who was standing a short distance behind them, shouted out that his brothers were injured, but the three armed settlers continued shooting and the residents were unable to reach the yard to help the injured men. Eventually, some of them managed to get Muhammad and Fahim and drive them in a car to a clinic in the village of Qabalan. From there, they were taken to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus.
Image
The settler in military uniform shooting residents during the incident. Taken from video footage filmed by residents
Thabet Khalil, 35, a village resident who was hiding from the gunfire, came out of his hiding place after the wounded men were taking away and the shooting stopped. The moment he stood up, he shot in the arm. He too was taken by villagers to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus.
Image
Jamil Mu'amar, who did not go to the hospital with his brothers, tried to go back to his brother Muhammad’s house. He did not see any settlers and went toward the house, but the moment he reached the spot where his brothers had been shot, the uniformed settler shot him twice, once in his leg and once in his thigh. Jamil ducked for cover and when the shooting stopped, collapsed to the ground. He was then taken to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus by residents.
Image
The settlers’ excavator working below village homes. Photo courtesy of residents
After that, a settler with a handgun shot village resident Walid Mu'amar, 15, in the shoulder from about 20 meters away. Walid fell to the ground, and the settlers fired at young men who tried to take him away. Eventually, two young men managed to reach Walid and take him to a car that drove him to a local clinic in the village of Qabalan. From there, he was taken to Rafidya Hospital.
About 15 minutes after the attack began, two military jeeps arrived at the village center of Qaryut and prevented other residents from reaching the area to help the residents under attack. After about 40 minutes, the jeeps drove toward the site of the attack, and the soldiers began firing tear gas at the residents while the settlers stood beside them. About 30 minutes later, the settlers left toward the settlement of Shilo.
Muhammad and Fahim Mu'amar were pronounced dead later that day at Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. Fahim left behind a wife and five children, and Muhammad left a wife and six children.
Image
Muhammad Mu’amar with three of his children. Photo courtesy of the family
In addition to the three residents shot, other residents were injured in the attack by stones thrown by the settlers or from inhaling the tear gas fired by the soldiers.
In a statement issued by the IDF Spokesperson following the incident, the military claimed that “IDF forces rushed to the area of the village of Qaryut, which is under the Samaria Regional Brigade, following a report of altercations between Israeli civilians and Palestinians that included stone throwing. Later, a report was received of two Palestinians who were killed as a result of shooting and several Palestinians who were wounded. Upon receipt of the reports, a command field inquiry was immediately launched at all levels, and found that the shooter was an active IDF reservist. After the inquiry, he was stripped of his weapon. A criminal investigation has been opened following the incident.”
B’Tselem’s investigation indicates that the settler who fatally shot the Mu'amar brothers did not arrive at the scene with a military force, and therefore acted as part of the group of settlers. In addition, the forces that purportedly “rushed to the area of the village of Qaryut” joined the settlers in attacking village residents and did nothing to stop the attack or arrest the assailants.
B’Tselem field researcher Salma a-Deb‘i collected testimonies from several residents:
Jamil Mu'amar, 46, a father of four, described how settlers shot and killed his brothersMuhammad and Fahim
Image
Jamil Mu'amar in Qaryut. Photo by B'Tselem
On Monday, 2 March 2026, at around 12:00 P.M., I was at home in the southern part of town, in an area called Jabel Taha, when we heard bulldozers in the al-Wad area, which is near the Qaryut spring, on land that belongs to area residents. I went outside to see what was happening, and when I looked toward the wadi, I saw a backhoe working on the land and several settlers. At that time, several residents from the neighborhood gathered, including my brothers Fahim, 48, Muhammad, 52, and Jihad, 30. There were only five or seven of us, and we watched them.
A settler with a handgun and a settler in military uniform with an M16 rifle came up to us. The one in uniform ordered us in Hebrew to leave. We told him we were in our homes and on our land, and then he pushed us and tried to attack us. The two settlers grabbed one of the residents and tried to pull him away from us, to isolate him and beat him, but we didn’t let them. Then the settler in uniform tried to pull away another guy, but again we didn’t let him, and then he fired several shots in the air. He did the same thing with a third guy, but we stopped him. At that point, the settler in uniform said to us in Hebrew: “Now you’ll see what I’m going to do to you.” He moved away from us and talked to someone on the phone.
Image
Settlers pushing residents at the start of the incident, while the uniformed settler fires in the air. Taken from video footage filmed by residents
Ten minutes later, a large group of settlers suddenly showed up, about 10 to 15, most of them masked, and they began throwing stones at us. We tried to defend ourselves, our homes and our children, but the settlers were armed, and two or three of them fired at us. I saw bullets hitting the trees. They were shooting directly. The settlers also smashed the solar panels on my brother Muhammad’s roof with stones.
I saw the two settlers who arrived first, the one in uniform with the rifle and the one with the handgun. They knelt in sniping positions opposite my brother Muhammad’s house and our father’s house, and fired one bullet after another. The settler in uniform was about 100 meters from us when he shot my brother Muhammad, who fell to the ground. Immediately afterward, my brother Fahim also fell. They’d both been standing at the gate of Muhammad’s yard. I was behind them, by the front door of the house. They fell right before my eyes.
Image
Jamil Mu'amar in the hospital. Photo by Salma a-Deb‘i, B'Tselem
I went over to my brothers. I saw Muhammad lying motionless on the ground, bleeding from a head wound. Fahim was injured wounded in the top part of his right thigh. I shouted to the young men for help. With great difficulty, we dragged my brothers to a safe place and put them in a car to evacuate them. I tried to go back to Muhammad’s house, so I looked toward the spot where the armed settlers had been. I didn’t see anyone, so I kept going. But when I reached the spot where my brothers were shot, I was shot too. I ducked, and when the shooting stopped, I fell down. The young men took me to the clinic in the village of Qabalan and from there to Rafidya, where I found out that my two brothers were dead and two other residents were wounded by gunfire, Thabet Khalil, 35, and Walid Mu'amar, 15. I’m still receiving treatment at Rafidya.
Image
Jamil Mu'ammar at the entrance to his brother Muhammad’s home. Photo: B’Tselem
Thabet Khalil, 35, a father of three from Qaryut, recounted in his testimony:
On Monday, 2 March 2026, at around 12:30 P.M., I was at home in the center of the village of Qaryut when I heard several shots from the southern part of the village, the Jabal Taha area. I walked there, and within five minutes of arriving, I saw a settler in a military uniform and carrying an M16 rifle. He was crouching about 100 meters from Muhammad Mu'amar’s house and shooting, and the other settlers were throwing stones at residents’ homes.
I heard someone shouting, “Ambulance! Ambulance!” I looked in the direction of the voice and saw two people on the ground outside Muhammad Mu'amar’s house. They were about 10 meters away from me. I tried to reach them, but I couldn’t because the shooting continued. I lay down on the ground to avoid being hit. The gunfire was terrifying, shot after shot. The settlers were in a spot where they could see us, but we couldn’t really see them, because large trees there blocked our field of vision.
A few young guys managed to reach the residents who had fallen and put them in a car. The shooting stopped. I tried to get up, but the moment I stood up, I was hit and felt a sharp pain in my left arm above the elbow. I ran about 30 meters, until the young guys grabbed me and put me in a car. From there, I was taken to the Qabalan clinic and from there to Rafidya Hospital, where I had surgery to remove the bullet. I’m still receiving treatment.
I think that the settler in military uniform was aimed at my heart to kill me, but when I stood up, the bullet hit my arm and I survived! I can’t believe this happened.
Walid Mu'amar, 15, a resident of Qaryut, described being injured by settler gunfire
Image
Walid Mu'amar in the hospital. Photo by Salma a-Deb‘i, B'Tselem
Two armed settlers came over to us, one with an M16 rifle and the other with a handgun. They shoved us and shouted at us in Hebrew. I understood from the settler that he wanted us to leave the area. The residents told him we were on our land, near our homes. He tried to grab one of the residents to beat him up, but the young guys stopped him. He tried the same thing with other young guys, but they prevented it. Afterwards, he filmed us one by one and told us we would pay for that. He fired several shots in the air, maybe four or five, to scare us, and then he made a call on his mobile phone. We assumed he was calling for more settlers. Everyone went back toward the houses.
After about ten minutes, a large group of settlers arrived, about 10 to 15 people, in civilian clothes, some of them armed. They immediately started throwing stones at us. The young guys threw stones back to stop them from reaching the houses. Then I heard shooting and saw two settlers, one of them with a handgun. The other settler, who wasn’t armed, called out to me, “Come here... come here,” but I didn’t go over to him. The settler with the handgun, who was about 20 meters to my left, shot me. I fell to the ground; I felt pain in my left shoulder and saw blood. I called out to the young guys to help me, but when they tried to get close, they were shot several times. They kept stopping and starting to reach me. In the end, two guys reached me and carried me to a car. They took me to the clinic in Qabalan, and from there they brought me here to Rafidya. The doctor decided to operate to remove the bullet lodged in my shoulder.
