Four Palestinians and two Israelis killed in West Bank shooting
The Palestinian foreign ministry said it “condemned in the strongest terms the massacre” in Tal.
“The escalation of settler terrorism is a direct result of the protection, political support and immunity provided by the Israeli government and occupation forces,” he said.
“Israel’s official provocation continues to fuel and encourage these crimes, creating an environment where settler violence thrives without accountability,” the statement said.
An AFP correspondent in the area southwest of Nablus said barricades had been set up and soldiers were searching for other suspects.
The IDF later said it raided a hospital in Nablus and “captured two terrorists who took part in the shooting attack and went to the hospital for treatment.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to act “with full force against terrorists and those who organize and support them.”
Calling for an urgent meeting with security officials, reinforcements were sent to the area near the Havat Gilad settlement.
Netanyahu’s office issued a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz, saying the Palestinian attacker’s house in Tal would be demolished and the legalization of unauthorized settler outposts and the establishment of new ones would be accelerated.
Outposts are wildcat settlements, usually consisting of a group of caravans built on a hill. When built without official approval, they are illegal under international law and also under Israeli law.
The UN says 1,114 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, the vast majority by the IDF. It is stated that at least 35 of the deaths were caused by attacks from settlers.
The UN announced that 41 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war.
Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem (land that Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state) during the 1967 Middle East war. It is estimated that approximately 3.3 million Palestinians live near them. Settlements are illegal under international law.
