RAMALLAH, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A procession of dozens of private cars on Saturday morning made its way along the main road leading to the village of al-Mughayyir in the central West Bank.
At the front was an ambulance carrying a body. They had just left a major hospital in the city of Ramallah and were now accompanying the deceased on his final journey home.
Fadi al-Nassan, 17, was shot by Israeli forces a week ago in al-Mughayyir. The Israel Defense Forces said troops fired at a suspect who was throwing stones, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
"The shooting came during several days of tensions around an isolated Palestinian family home on the outskirts of al-Mughayyir, where residents say settlers repeatedly entered nearby land to graze sheep under military protection," Haaretz added.
Fadi was taken to a Ramallah hospital after the shooting. His condition deteriorated sharply on Friday, before he succumbed to his wounds in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday.
At the entrance to al-Mughayyir, an Israeli military vehicle was parked. It did not stop anyone from entering or leaving, but its presence alone underscored the tense atmosphere.
As soon as the body was carried out, the funeral started. Hundreds of people began moving forward together in a long procession along the village's main street.
Some chanted slogans expressing their determination to remain on their land, stand united, and resist. One person was lifted onto another's shoulders to lead the chants before someone else took over. Their voices soon became hoarse, mixed with the sound of crying.
Some waved Palestinian flags. Among them were many children, and the flags were even larger than the children themselves.
The procession came to a stop when the body was carried into the family's home for a final farewell. Relatives had already gathered inside to see him one last time.
Tears and cries filled the room. Many people buried their faces in handkerchiefs and tissues, their bodies trembling with grief. A child stood against the wall, holding his younger brother in his arms and grieving silently.
Al-Mughayyir is increasingly caught up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since mid-2024, the establishment of multiple new settlement outposts in the vicinity has heightened pressure on the community, according to a UN report released in May.
Since January 2023, the UN has documented at least four displacement incidents in al-Mughayyir due to Israeli settler attacks, in which a total of 113 Palestinians, including 57 children, were forcibly displaced.
The village reflects the mounting challenges across the West Bank. A UN report in mid-July documented over 1,260 settler-related incidents across 250 Palestinian communities since the start of the year, resulting in casualties, property damage, or both.
"We face a huge attack from settlers. They are around us in this village," 36-year-old resident Nedal Abo Alia told Xinhua. "We are scared, and our children here don't go to parks. They don't play like any other child in the world."
For 23-year-old villager Adam al-Nassan, an engineer who commutes to Ramallah, the journey is neither convenient nor safe. Living like this is incredibly difficult, he said.
Asked about the future, Adam expressed a simple wish: "We want just safety, to live in peace."
After prayers at a public hall in the village, hundreds of mourners set off again toward the village cemetery under the scorching sun.
Flags fluttered above the crowd as chants rose once again.
"Al-Mughayyir village defies. There are men who will stand up."
