At least four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank on Friday, marking the deadliest single incident in the territory in recent months.
The violence unfolded in the northern village of Tal, where conflicting accounts have emerged over how the confrontation began.
Palestinian residents told the BBC that the incident started when Jewish settlers attacked homes in the village. They said local residents confronted the settlers before Israeli soldiers arrived and opened fire.
However, the Israeli military said its forces responded after receiving reports that Israeli civilians hiking in the area had come under attack. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a Palestinian seized the firearm of a security guard and fatally shot him before being killed by Israeli troops.
The IDF said the other three Palestinians killed belonged to the same family, while a second Israeli, an IDF soldier, also lost his life during the operation. The military said it was preparing for “extensive counterterrorism operational activity” in the area.
The shooting comes amid rising tensions in the West Bank, where attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property have increased since the outbreak of the Gaza war following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Eyewitness Ahmed Zeidan told the BBC that around 30 settlers entered Tal early Friday and attacked Palestinian homes, prompting residents to intervene. He said physical clashes broke out while Israeli soldiers were present.
Essam Saifi, a local Fatah official, told Reuters that settlers opened fire before Israeli forces arrived and also began shooting. Palestinian officials said several other residents were wounded in the violence.
The Israeli military rejected that account, saying Palestinians initiated the attack. It said the group of Israeli hikers had not coordinated their trip with security authorities and that a nearby settlement security guard responded before his weapon was taken and used against him.
According to the IDF, soldiers killed the Palestinian gunman during the exchange of fire. The military’s Central Command chief, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, said four members of the same Palestinian family died in the incident.
Two videos circulating on social media appear to capture parts of the confrontation, although neither has been independently verified.
One video shows Palestinians confronting Israeli soldiers and armed civilians dressed in plain clothes as gunfire erupts. Another appears to show two Palestinian men struggling for control of a firearm, with one briefly gaining possession before multiple shots are fired.
The IDF separately confirmed that a 27-year-old soldier was killed during operations in the village but did not provide details on the circumstances of his death. Israel’s ambulance service said two other Israelis were injured.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as a “massacre” in Tal, accusing the Israeli government of enabling settler violence through political backing and a lack of accountability.
It argued that official Israeli rhetoric had contributed to an environment in which attacks by settlers continued unchecked.
Meanwhile, an AFP reporter at the scene said Israeli forces erected roadblocks around the area and launched a search for additional suspects.
Later, the IDF said troops raided a hospital in Nablus and arrested two Palestinians suspected of involvement in the shooting after they sought medical treatment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond “with full force against the terrorists and those who orchestrate and sponsor them.” He convened an emergency security meeting and ordered reinforcements to the area near the Havat Gilad settlement.
In a joint statement with Defence Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu’s office said authorities would demolish the home of the alleged Palestinian gunman and accelerate the legalisation of unauthorised settler outposts as well as the establishment of new ones.
The announcement drew criticism from opposition leader Yair Golan, who warned it signalled “a clear intent to set the area ablaze.”
Following the Tal incident, clashes reportedly spread to nearby villages in the northern West Bank. Local medics said several Palestinians were injured, including one person who was shot in the head in Farata.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for harsh measures against Palestinian communities, saying villages linked to the attackers should be treated “the same way as Gaza.”
The latest bloodshed highlights worsening violence in the occupied West Bank. While Palestinians are frequently killed during confrontations involving Israeli forces and settlers, attacks resulting in Israeli deaths have further heightened tensions.
According to the United Nations, 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, most during Israeli military operations. At least 35 of those deaths were linked to settler attacks.
During the same period, the UN says 41 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the territory.
Israel has built hundreds of settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem since capturing the territories in the 1967 Middle East war. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers now live there alongside an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians. The settlements are widely regarded as illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.
