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Case file

2023 Huwara shooting

SOLVED2022Huwara, West Bank3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · ongoing investigation — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On 26 February 2023, two Israeli brothers, Hillel Menachem Yaniv and Yagel Ya'acov Yaniv, residents of the Har Brakha settlement near Huwara in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, were shot and killed while driving their car near the Einbus intersection along Highway 60, south of Nablus. The attacker used an M16 rifle and fled the scene on foot. Both victims were described as yeshiva students; one had recently completed service in the Israeli Navy. No group initially claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Later the same day, groups of Israeli settlers carried out revenge attacks in Huwara and neighboring villages. Palestinian health officials said a 37-year-old man was fatally shot in the abdomen in the nearby town of Za'atara. Israeli soldiers present in the area did not intervene during the unfolding violence, which included the burning of homes, businesses, a school, and vehicles. An Israeli military commander described the events as "a pogrom done by outlaws." A joint investigation by FakeReporter and CNN, published in June 2023, found that Israeli forces took little action to stop the rampage or protect residents.

On 7 March 2023, an Israeli military raid in Jenin killed the shooter, identified as 49-year-old Abdel Fattah Hussein Kharousha, along with several Palestinian militants. Kharousha, described as a fighter with the Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas), had previously been arrested multiple times by Israel and released at the end of 2022 after serving 40 months in prison. Hamas claimed responsibility for the Huwara shooting after his death. During a subsequent 3 April raid in Nablus, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) arrested two individuals accused of assisting the attacker and killed two Palestinian militants after being fired upon.

Following a lawsuit filed by the Yaniv family, Israel seized $5.2 million in funds designated for the Palestinian Authority under the 2024 Compensation for Terror Victims Law, which provides for compensation of $2.6 million per victim to the heirs of those killed. The lawsuit targeted Palestinian Authority stipend payments to militants and their families.

The shooting and the subsequent settler violence drew wide international attention. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, condemned the settler rampage, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich publicly called for Huwara to be "wiped out," drawing international condemnation before he retracted the statement. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the settler attacks as being carried out "under the protection of the occupation forces." Israeli and Palestinian officials issued a joint declaration in Aqaba, Jordan the same day, calling for de-escalation.

Key facts

Victims
Yagel Ya'acov Yaniv, Sameh Aqtesh, Hillel Menachem Yaniv
Date
2022
Location
Huwara, West Bank
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2022

    Israel described by B'Tselem as having its deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2004, with nearly 150 Palestinians and about 30 Israelis killed.

  2. 2022-12

    Abdel Fattah Hussein Kharousha released from Israeli prison after serving 40 months.

  3. 2023-02-26

    Kharousha shoots and kills brothers Hillel Menachem Yaniv and Yagel Ya'acov Yaniv in their car near the Einbus intersection on Highway 60 in Huwara.

  4. 2023-02-26

    Israeli settlers carry out revenge attacks in Huwara and nearby villages, killing one Palestinian man and injuring around 100 others; Israeli and Palestinian officials issue a joint declaration in Aqaba, Jordan.

  5. 2023-02-27

    Violence and settler control of the area continue; masked individuals check vehicles for Palestinians while Israeli soldiers do not intervene.

  6. 2023-02-28

    Settler attacks on Palestinian communities continue; all eight suspects detained in connection with the rampage are released, three to house arrest.

  7. 2023-03-01

    Eight further suspects are arrested in connection with the rampage; Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara opens an investigation into lawmaker Zvika Fogel over alleged incitement to terrorism.

  8. 2023-03-02

    Israeli Defense Ministry places two individuals, one a minor, in administrative detention after a Jerusalem court orders police to release seven other detained suspects.

  9. 2023-03-07

    Israeli forces kill Kharousha and several Palestinian militants during a raid in Jenin; Hamas later claims responsibility for the Huwara shooting and identifies Kharousha as the perpetrator.

  10. 2023-04-03

    IDF raid in Nablus results in the arrest of two individuals accused of assisting the Huwara attacker and the killing of two Palestinian militants.

  11. 2023-06-15

    CNN and FakeReporter publish a joint investigation finding Israeli forces took little action during the settler rampage.

  12. 2024

    Israel seizes $5.2 million in Palestinian Authority funds under the Compensation for Terror Victims Law following a lawsuit by the Yaniv family.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Yagel Ya'acov Yaniv

    VICTIM

    Israeli settler from Har Brakha, shot and killed in his car in Huwara on 26 February 2023.

    citation on file

  • Sameh Aqtesh

    VICTIM

    Palestinian man shot dead during the settler revenge attack in Za'atara on 26 February 2023.

    citation on file

  • Abdel Fattah Hussein Kharousha

    CHARGED

    Identified by Hamas as the Qassam Brigades fighter who shot and killed the Yaniv brothers; killed by Israeli forces on 7 March 2023 before facing formal prosecution.

    citation on file

  • Izz al-Din Touqan

    CHARGED

    Arrested by the IDF during a 3 April 2023 raid in Nablus on suspicion of assisting the Huwara attacker.

    citation on file

  • Zvika Fogel

    CHARGED

    Israeli lawmaker investigated by the Attorney General on suspicion of incitement to terrorism after publicly supporting the settler rampage.

    citation on file

  • Nidal Tabanja

    CHARGED

    Arrested by the IDF during a 3 April 2023 raid in Nablus on suspicion of assisting the Huwara attacker.

    citation on file

  • Hillel Menachem Yaniv

    VICTIM

    Israeli settler from Har Brakha, shot and killed in his car in Huwara on 26 February 2023.

    citation on file

Places

Huwara, West Bank

32.1480, 35.2670

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 26 February 2023, an unidentified gunman later identified as Hamas operative Abdel Fattah Hussein Kharousha shot and killed two Israeli brothers, Hillel Menachem Yaniv and Yagel Ya'acov Yaniv, in their car in Huwara in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, triggering a night of revenge attacks by Israeli settlers that killed one Palestinian and injured around 100 others.
Where did the shooting happen?
Huwara, West Bank.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.

Sources

  1. 2023 Huwara attackswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Israeli settlers rampage after Palestinian gunman kills two in West Banknews · The Guardian · 2026-07-07
  3. Investigation into the Huwara, West Bank settler attacknews · CNN · 2026-07-07

Last verified JUL 2026

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