Deadly West Bank Clash Triggers Israeli Military Operation
NABLUS-Israeli forces launched a military operation near the Palestinian village of Tal in the occupied West Bank on Friday after a deadly confrontation that killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers, as tensions escalated amid a rise in settler violence and security incidents in the territory.
The violence occurred near Tal, southwest of Nablus, where the Israeli military said it received reports that Israeli civilians hiking in the area had come under attack. The location lies within Area A of the West Bank, which is under Palestinian Authority civil and security control and where Israeli civilians are officially prohibited from entering.
The Israeli military said a Palestinian man seized a weapon from Israeli security personnel from the nearby settlement of Havat Gilad and opened fire, wounding several Israelis before he was killed. The military said four Palestinians were killed during the incident.
Palestinian officials gave a different account, saying a large group of Israeli settlers attempted to break into two homes in Tal before being confronted by local residents.
Following the clash, Israeli troops established roadblocks around Tal and Nablus and said they were pursuing individuals involved. The military said it was preparing “extensive counterterrorism operational activity” in the area and had canceled leave for personnel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had held a security assessment with the defense minister and the military’s chief of staff following the incident.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for nearby Palestinian villages to be cleared of their inhabitants and for new settlements to be established, describing the move as an appropriate response to terrorism and a means of strengthening Israel’s presence in the area.
The confrontation comes three months before Israel’s national elections and amid government preparations to expand settlements in the West Bank. Israel has occupied the territory since the 1967 Middle East war, while Palestinians seek the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem as part of a future independent state.
In a separate incident on Friday, the Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry said Israeli settlers attacked a village near Qalqilya, injuring two people and setting fire to trees and vehicles. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the allegation.
According to Palestinian Authority figures, 87 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank so far this year, including 21 killed by Israeli settlers. United Nations data shows about 850 Palestinians have been injured in incidents involving Israeli settlers since the beginning of the year.
Essam Saifi, a local Fatah leader in Tal, told Reuters that around 25 to 30 settlers initially entered the eastern part of the village and attempted to break into two houses. He said residents confronted them and that the settlers opened fire before withdrawing.
Saifi said the settlers returned about 30 minutes later and attacked the western side of the village, leading to an exchange of gunfire that also involved Israeli forces.
Separately, Palestinian officials said Israeli troops raided a hospital in Nablus and assaulted emergency department staff. The Israeli military said it was examining those reports.
