West Bank Shooting Kills 6 in Tal as Israel, Palestinians Clash Over Sequence
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 24
West Bank Shooting Kills 6 in Tal as Israel, Palestinians Clash Over Sequence
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 24
Summary
Two Israelis and four Palestinians were confirmed dead in Tal near Nablus, making it the deadliest single West Bank incident in months; the second Israeli fatality was a 27-year-old soldier.
Conflicting accounts remain central: Palestinian witnesses said about 30 settlers attacked homes before soldiers opened fire, while the Israeli military said Palestinians attacked hikers, seized a security guard's gun and killed him.
Israeli forces later raided a Nablus hospital and arrested two Palestinians it said took part in the shooting, while roadblocks, troop searches and reinforcements were deployed around nearby settlements.
Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an emergency security meeting and, with Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the shooter's home would be demolished and unauthorized settler outposts legalized faster.
The killings come amid a wider West Bank escalation since October 2023, with the UN reporting 1,114 Palestinians and 41 Israelis killed there during the Gaza war period.