West Bank shooting leaves four Palestinians and two Israelis dead
Three special vehicles belonging to an Israeli emergency service agency are seen in the West Bank. Photo: courtesy: Al Jazeera
Four Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed in a shooting incident in the Nablus area of the occupied West Bank. The four Palestinians are members of the same family, according to local Fatah leader Essam Saifi. Several others were also reported injured.
According to Palestinian officials, citing eyewitnesses, Israeli settlers first opened fire early Saturday morning in the Tal village area in the southwest, prompting local residents to try to resist them. Afterwards, the Israeli army also arrived at the scene and began firing.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that Israeli civilians were hiking in the area and went there upon receiving reports of an "attack" on some passersby.
The IDF's account states that "terrorists" snatched a security guard's weapon and opened fire, killing an Israeli. The "terrorist" was then killed by army fire.
The IDF also reported that a 27-year-old Israeli soldier was killed in the operation. They said they are preparing for a "large-scale counter-terrorism operation" in the area.
Two videos circulating from the scene show armed civilian Israelis and soldiers clashing with Palestinians, with Israeli citizens, including children, watching the events.
Ahmed Zeidan, an eyewitness, told the BBC that the incident in Tal village began early in the morning when around 30 settlers started attacking Palestinian homes. Scuffles broke out there in the presence of Israeli forces.
On the other hand, the IDF claims that the Palestinians started the attack. They said they went to Tal village following reports of an attack on Israeli civilians.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described the incident in Tal village as a "massacre." In a statement, the ministry said the Israeli government is escalating such violence by protecting and inciting unauthorized settlers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called an emergency meeting and vowed to use full force against "terrorists." It was announced that the homes of the killed Palestinians would be demolished and that the process of legalizing unauthorized outposts would be accelerated.
In this regard, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that for every dead Jew, Palestinians must lose homes and land.
Settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have increased since the start of the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Extreme tension has prevailed in the West Bank since the October 2023 attacks.
A UN report states that during this period, 1,114 Palestinians and 41 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank.
Source: BBC
