Israeli authorities ordered a large-scale military response in the West Bank following a deadly confrontation near the Palestinian village of Tell, close to Nablus, on July 24. The incident resulted in the deaths of six people—four Palestinians and two Israelis—and left several others injured. The event has heightened already volatile tensions in the region and sparked retaliatory attacks, leading to fears of broader violence.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the confrontation began when a Palestinian man seized a weapon from a security guard associated with a nearby Jewish settlement during a hike and opened fire. The shooting led to the deaths of two Israeli soldiers, Benayahu Mellet, 32, and Yuval Eztra, while the alleged perpetrator was killed by Israeli forces. The IDF described the event as a terrorist attack and announced plans for an extensive anti-terror operation, including surrounding Nablus, placing the area under curfew, cancelling troop leave, and calling in reinforcements.
Palestinian and some international accounts, however, offer a contrasting narrative, reporting that the incident was triggered by armed Israeli settlers entering the village without coordination or authorization from the Israeli military, escalating tensions with local Palestinians. The region where the incident occurred is designated Area B under the Oslo Accords, administered by the Palestinian Authority, where Israeli civilians typically require military permits to enter. Palestinians described the settlers’ presence as an intrusion that sparked clashes, including fights over the weapon that led to the fatal shooting.
Following the initial incident, multiple acts of settler violence were reported in Palestinian villages around the area, including in Far’ata, where homes and farmland were set ablaze and several people injured. Eyewitnesses said dozens were wounded during these reprisal attacks. The Israeli military acknowledged settler movements but emphasized the need to restore order, with officials warning of heightened calls for revenge among settlers.
In response to the violence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement calling for a strong and unfettered security response against terrorism. Netanyahu announced plans to accelerate the establishment and legalisation of new settler outposts in the West Bank, despite their being considered illegal under international law and unauthorized under Israeli law. The statement also included orders to demolish the home of the Palestinian suspected of carrying out the initial shooting. Meanwhile, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, a controversial ultra-nationalist from a settler community, called for punitive measures against the villages involved.
The situation reflects a continuing trend of violence in the West Bank. Human rights groups report that between October 2023 and April 2026, over 1,000 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces and around 35 by Israeli settlers. In the same period, approximately 30 Israelis have been killed in West Bank-related incidents. The latest episode marks the deadliest such violence this year, underscoring the fragile security situation and the growing volatility between settlers and Palestinians in the occupied territories.