Netanyahu orders 'firm' military action after deadly West Bank clash
Published on 24/07/2026 - 15:06 GMT+2 Four Palestinians were killed and four others were injured by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian health...
Published on 24/07/2026 - 15:06 GMT+2
Four Palestinians were killed and four others were injured by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as Israel's military announced it was preparing to launch a "large-scale" operation in the occupied territory.
An Israeli man was also killed in the incident, which occurred around the village of Tell, per Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service.
While exact details on what happened remain unclear, Israeli and Palestinian media reports suggest that Israeli settlers from Havat Gilad entered Tell and were met by locals.
The Palestinian News Agency WAFA reported that the Israeli group "attacked the eastern part of the village" and set fire to a shop, two homes, and agricultural land.
The Israel Defense Forces said that the Israelis were "were hiking in the area" and that one Palestinian resident had stolen a weapon from a security officer who arrived at the scene and opened fire at the Israelis.
Video footage circulating on social media appeared to capture the chaotic scene as it unfolded. It shows armed men moving towards a group of Palestinians before one is seemingly disarmed and gunshots break out.
The IDF said its forces had killed the person who allegedly took the weapon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since announced that he had directed the IDF to take "firm measures against terrorism."
Netanyahu's orders include demolishing "the home of the terrorist who carried out this morning’s attack near the village of Tell," carrying out "vigorous operations in villages that serve as centres of terrorism," and reinforcing the military "throughout Judea and Samaria."
He added that the IDF would "accelerate the legalisation of existing farms and the establishment of new ones."
The West Bank
The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967 and has seen a surge in violence since the start of the war in Gaza, which broke out following the Hamas militant group's October 7 attacks in 2023.
According to a report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, there were around 737,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as of October 2024.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
In May, the EU agreed to new sanctions on Israeli settlers due to the increase in violence in the West Bank. It came as the bloc also announce fresh sanctions on leading Hamas figures.
In a statement at the time, the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said: "It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery. Extremisms and violence carry consequences".
According to the Palestinian health ministry, 87 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in 2026.
