NABLUS: At least four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed in a violent confrontation near the Palestinian village of Tal, southwest of Nablus, on Friday, as tensions continued to rise amid an increase in Israeli settler violence across the occupied West Bank.
According to the Israeli military, the incident began after reports that a group of Israeli civilians hiking near the village had come under attack in Area A of the West Bank, which is under the civil and security control of the Palestinian Authority and where Israeli citizens are officially prohibited from entering.
The military claimed that a Palestinian man seized a weapon from Israeli security personnel from the nearby settlement of Havat Gilad and opened fire, injuring several Israelis before being shot dead. Israeli authorities said four Palestinians were killed during the clashes.
However, Palestinian officials presented a different account, stating that a large group of Israeli settlers attempted to force their way into two homes in the village. Local residents confronted the settlers, triggering an exchange of gunfire that later expanded as Israeli troops entered the area.
Israeli Military Launches Security Operation
Following the incident, Israeli forces established roadblocks around Tal and Nablus and launched a search operation for those allegedly involved. The military announced preparations for what it described as an “extensive counterterrorism operational activity” in the area and canceled leave for troops.
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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for nearby Palestinian villages to be emptied of residents and replaced with new Israeli settlements, saying such measures would strengthen Israel’s security and presence in the occupied territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held an emergency security assessment with senior defense officials and the military’s chief of staff to review the situation.
Growing Settler Violence
The deadly confrontation comes as violence involving Israeli settlers has intensified significantly in the West Bank.
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In a separate incident on Friday, the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry said Israeli settlers attacked a village near Qalqilya, injuring two Palestinians and setting fire to trees and vehicles. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on those allegations.
According to Palestinian Authority figures, 87 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank so far this year, including 21 deaths attributed to Israeli settlers.
Meanwhile, United Nations data indicates that around 850 Palestinians have been injured in incidents related to settler attacks since the beginning of the year.
Conflicting Accounts
Essam Saifi, a local Fatah leader from Tal, told Reuters that approximately 25 to 30 Israeli settlers initially attacked the eastern part of the village and attempted to enter two homes.
He said villagers confronted the settlers, who allegedly opened fire before withdrawing. About half an hour later, the settlers reportedly returned and attacked another part of the village, leading to a larger armed confrontation involving Israeli troops.
Palestinian officials also accused Israeli forces of raiding a hospital in Nablus and assaulting emergency medical staff. The Israeli military said it was reviewing those reports.
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The latest violence underscores the worsening security situation in the occupied West Bank, where clashes, military operations, and settler-related attacks have increased amid broader regional tensions.
