On Friday, the Israeli armed forces initiated plans for a significant operation in the occupied West Bank following violent confrontations that resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.
The military reported that a group of settlers ventured into a section of the West Bank designated off-limits to Israeli civilians for an “unauthorized and uncoordinated hike.” Clashes erupted between settlers and the residents of the Palestinian village of Tell as the group drew near.
The resulting gunfire led to the deaths of four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers—one of whom was a settler—amid an increase in violence throughout the West Bank.
Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right Finance Minister, urged the demolition of Palestinian villages in the region as a reaction to the killings.
“For their own safety, the population needs to be moved, and these villages must be cleared of terrorist infrastructure and individuals to restore deterrence and security to the area,” he stated on Friday.
Footage from the incident depicts soldiers and armed Israeli settlers seemingly forcing Palestinians out of the area, with calls for “revenge” in Hebrew audible in the background. An armed settler is shown approaching two Palestinian men, seemingly attempting to use his rifle to push them away. One of the Palestinians appears to grab the strap of the weapon.
Moments later, as the video refocuses, one of the Palestinian men is seen holding the weapon, followed by the sound of at least a dozen gunshots from what seem to be multiple locations.
According to the military, the Palestinian man obtained the weapon from a security officer associated with the nearby Havat Gilad settlement, who was killed during the incident. A second soldier was also reported as killed. The specifics of the video’s content concerning the precise moment of the officers’ deaths remain unclear.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the four deceased Palestinians were shot by Israeli soldiers.
Walid Zeiden, the leader of the Tell village committee, stated that all of the deceased were from the same family, consisting of two brothers and two cousins. The health ministry also reported that at least three others sustained injuries from Israeli gunfire.
The United Nations has called for “urgent action” to address the rising violence in the West Bank amid ongoing “unabated” attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities.
“Israel must take immediate measures to curb settler violence, safeguard Palestinian communities, and ensure accountability for those responsible for the attacks,” stated Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. “Palestinians must unequivocally reject violence and incitement and take immediate steps to prevent assaults against Israelis.”
The Palestinian Authority condemned the settler attacks and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz for “accelerating the establishment and legalization of colonial outposts” while increasing the IDF’s presence in the West Bank. They also urged the US to intervene and “compel Israel to halt its escalation and the crimes committed by Israeli colonists,” according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared a curfew in the Palestinian villages of Tell and Bureij, along with the nearby Jewish settlement of Shiloh.
Although video evidence shows that the altercation escalated and the Israeli military acknowledged that the deaths of the Israelis were not premeditated, the IDF is classifying the incident as a terrorist attack and has announced a “large-scale” operation in the region to target “dozens of Palestinians” implicated in the event.
The IDF stated that it has canceled leave for soldiers operating in the area and is mobilizing reinforcements. Amid reports of settler assaults and raids on nearby Palestinian villages, the IDF expressed concern regarding potential settler violence.
Attacks by settlers persisted in adjacent areas of the West Bank, affecting towns such as Faraata, Imatin, Jit, Iraq Burin, and the Masafer Yatta region in Hebron.
Video footage and images acquired by USdaily from residents of Faraata reveal settlers setting ablaze homes, vehicles, and businesses in their village. In one part of the town, the settlers painted the word “revenge” on walls and uprooted an olive grove using bulldozers.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that by Friday afternoon, eight individuals had been injured in the Faraata attack, with six requiring hospitalization due to gunshot wounds.
Following the incident in Tell, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to expedite the establishment of additional settlement outposts or farms in the area and to legalize existing ones.
Settlements in the West Bank are deemed illegal under international law and by a majority of the international community and the United Nations; however, settlers have established numerous unauthorized outposts in recent years and have subsequently obtained Israeli government approvals.
The incident on Friday is occurring amidst a significant rise in settler violence across the occupied territory. Reports indicate that two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces in Beit Furik on Thursday after settlers allegedly set fire to Palestinian-owned fields and vehicles.
Prior to this, two additional Palestinians were killed during a settler raid in the village of Deir Jarir, located near Ramallah, according to Palestinian health officials.
USdaily’s Oren Liebermann contributed reporting.
