Conflicting Accounts Emerge After Deadliest Incident in Months
At least four Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank, marking one of the deadliest single incidents in the area in recent months.
The violence occurred in the northern village of Tal, near Nablus, with conflicting reports emerging about how the confrontation began and who fired first.
Palestinian witnesses told the BBC that residents confronted Jewish settlers who were allegedly attacking Palestinian homes. One eyewitness said Israeli soldiers later arrived at the scene and began shooting.
However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gave a different account, saying troops responded after receiving reports that Israeli hikers had been attacked. The military said a security guard’s weapon was taken during the incident and used to kill him.
The IDF later confirmed that an Israeli soldier had also died during the operation but did not provide further details about the circumstances. The military has not explained how the other Palestinians were killed.
Witnesses Describe Violent Clashes
Ahmed Zeidan, a local eyewitness, said the incident started early in the morning when residents rushed to confront around 30 settlers who were allegedly attacking Palestinian homes in Tal.
According to Zeidan, clashes broke out between Palestinians, settlers and Israeli soldiers who were present at the scene.
Essam Saifi, a local leader from the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah movement, told Reuters that settlers opened fire before Israeli forces arrived and also began shooting.
He said two brothers and two of their cousins were among those killed, while Palestinian officials reported that several others were wounded.
The IDF rejected those claims, saying Palestinians had started the attack and that soldiers acted to stop what it described as a terrorist incident.
Israel Announces Security Response
The Israeli military said it was preparing for a major operation in the area and had cancelled soldiers’ leave as tensions continued to rise.
The incident comes amid a surge in settler attacks against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank since the beginning of the Gaza war, which followed the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Two videos circulating online have drawn attention, although they have not been independently verified. One appears to show clashes between Palestinians, Israeli soldiers and armed Israelis wearing civilian clothing, while another appears to show a chaotic confrontation involving weapons and multiple gunshots.
The IDF said a 27-year-old soldier “fell during operational activity in the area of the village,” but the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
Israeli emergency services said two Israelis were also injured.
Political Leaders React After Violence
Palestinian officials condemned what they described as a “massacre” in Tal and accused Israel of allowing settler violence to continue without accountability.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond strongly against those responsible and held an emergency meeting with security officials.
Netanyahu’s office and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced plans to demolish the home of the Palestinian suspect accused of carrying out the shooting. They also said the government would speed up the approval of unauthorised settler outposts and the creation of new ones.
The move was criticised by opposition politician Yair Golan, who said the decision risked increasing tensions in the region.
Following the Tal incident, further clashes were reported in nearby villages, with Palestinian medics saying several people were injured.
West Bank Violence Continues
The United Nations says more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, with most deaths linked to Israeli military operations. It also reported that dozens of Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during military operations.
The West Bank, captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war, remains at the centre of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians seek the territory, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, as part of a future independent state.
