Four Palestinians were killed in the West Bank village of Tell during a clash with settlers, in which two Israelis were also reported killed. Israeli forces detained 51 villagers and maintained a heavy presence during funerals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would legalise more settlements and speed up outpost approvals following the incident. The violence is part of a broader surge across the West Bank since October 2023.
Four Palestinians Killed In West Bank Clash With Settlers; Netanyahu Pledges More Settlements
Palestinians watched as a fire blazed near the village of Tell, adjacent to the Israeli settlement of Havat Gilad, west of Nablus in the occupied West Bank (Jaafar ASHTIYEH)
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank village of Tell buried four men on Saturday after a deadly clash with Israeli settlers the day before, local officials and AFP journalists reported.
Incident And Immediate Aftermath
The confrontation began on Friday when roughly 20 people from a nearby settlement entered Tell and a violent exchange followed. The Israeli military said a Palestinian villager seized a settler's weapon and killed one settler; subsequent gunfire left four Palestinians and a second Israeli dead. Troops then moved into the village, closed gates and checkpoints across the West Bank and severely restricted movement.
Walid Zidan, head of the Tell village council, told AFP: "Families of the four martyrs held a common funeral early this morning ... but the army restricted who could attend and only about 30 people were able to be there." He said the army remained in the village Saturday morning and had detained 51 residents for questioning, releasing just six.
"Every person who was brought in was assigned a number, which was written on their forehead," said Saif Hamza, who was later released.
Political Fallout And Wider Context
On Friday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would permit the establishment of additional settlements in the area and accelerate "the legalisation of farm outposts and establishment of new ones" following the deaths of Israelis in the village. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal; outposts are typically smaller sites often built without formal government approval.
The clash occurred amid a wider surge in violence since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing Gaza war. Israeli government figures show at least 48 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli operations since the conflict began; an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data reports at least 1,097 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the same period.
Community Response
Local officials and mourners gathered at Nablus hospital and in Tell for funerals. Ghassan Daghlas, governor of the Nablus region, attended a funerary prayer where bodies lay wrapped in Palestinian flags. Villagers and local leaders condemned the incursion and described repeated settler incidents in recent years as a driver of escalating local tensions.
This report draws on accounts from local officials, residents and AFP journalists. The situation in the West Bank remains tense, with movement restricted and military and settler activity continuing to fuel fears of further clashes.
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