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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. The full item