At least four Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed in shootings in the occupied West Bank. This is the deadliest single incident in months.
There are conflicting accounts of the series of events that took place in the northern town of Tal. Palestinians told the BBC that residents faced Jewish settlers attacking them. Witnesses said soldiers arrived and began shooting.
The Israeli military said it had responded to reports of hikers being attacked. It says that terrorists stole the security guard’s weapon and killed him.
It later said one soldier had been killed but gave no further details. The IDF did not explain who killed the other Palestinians.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was preparing for a large-scale operation in the area and had canceled leave for its soldiers.
Settler attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank have surged since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Witness Ahmed Zeidan told the BBC that the incident began in the early morning when residents of the Tal area rushed to confront about 30 settlers who were attacking Palestinian houses.
He said hand-to-hand clashes broke out as Israeli soldiers looked on.
Essam Saifi, a local leader of the ruling Fatah party, told Reuters the settlers opened fire and began shooting before Israeli troops arrived.
He said the dead included two brothers and two cousins. Palestinian officials said several other Palestinians were injured.
The IDF said Palestinians launched the attack.
It said soldiers went to Tal after reports of attacks on Israeli civilians hiking in the area. A guard from a nearby settler outpost went to the scene, snatched the gun the Palestinian had used against the Israelis, and killed him.
The soldiers then “eliminated the terrorists who carried out the terrorist attack,” the IDF added.
He later said the 27-year-old soldier “collapsed during operational activity in the village area.” The circumstances of his death are unclear.
The Israel Ambulance Service said two Israelis were also injured.
