Six killed after settlers enter West Bank village and gunfight erupts
Two Israelis and four Palestinians died following a clash that began when a group of settlers entered the West Bank town of Tell without coordination with the Israeli army.
A confrontation in the northern West Bank town of Tell on Friday left two Israelis and four Palestinians dead. According to local Palestinian officials, several dozen settlers entered the village, which lies in Areas A and B, without prior coordination with the Israeli military, which is required for Israeli presence in those zones.
Residents attempted to push the settlers back, and fighting broke out near a mosque. A civil defense squad from the nearby Havat Gilad settlement arrived, and during the ensuing gunfight a Palestinian seized a rifle from squad member Benayahu Mellet and shot him and IDF artillery commander Maj. Yuval Ezra, both of whom later died. An IDF platoon commander killed the Palestinian who had taken the weapon, while three other Palestinians were also killed in the crossfire. Several others on both sides were wounded.
The Israeli army subsequently captured two of the wounded Palestinians, who it said participated in the clash, during a raid on a Nablus hospital. In response, the IDF deployed five additional companies to the West Bank, imposed a closure on Tell and Nablus, and cancelled weekend leave for troops stationed in the area, citing preparation for “extensive counter-terrorism operational activity.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security meeting with senior officials, after which new measures were announced, including demolition of the home of the Palestinian who fired the weapon, revocation of work permits in selected villages, and acceleration of the legalization of settler outposts.
"The identities of all the terrorists who participated in the attack are known, and the forces are operating to arrest them," the military said.
"This morning’s attack is severe and painful, and tragically claimed a heavy toll in lives," Shin Bet head David Zini said, urging the public not to take the law into their own hands.
Following the incident, reports emerged of retaliatory settler raids on nearby villages, resulting in injuries to several Palestinians and property damage. Israeli officials warned of an “atmosphere” of revenge and said they were working to prevent further confrontations.
The clash has intensified political debate within Israel, with right-wing officials calling for harsher measures against Palestinian villages, while opposition lawmakers criticized the response as escalating the conflict.