West Bank erupts into violence following Israeli settler killings

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Violence Erupts in Nablus Following Settler Attack

On July 24, over 20 Israeli settlers from the Havat Gilad settlement attacked Palestinian homes on the eastern edge of Tal, southwest of Nablus. The incident led to a series of retaliatory actions by Israeli forces and settlers.

According to eyewitness accounts, four Palestinians from the Ramadan family were killed in the ensuing violence. A settler and an Israeli soldier also died. In the days since, the occupied West Bank has been gripped by armed attacks, raids, demolitions, road closures, and arson.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “wide-scale military operation” following the killings, which included demolishing the alleged Palestinian attacker’s home and revoking work permits in villages deemed “terror hotspots”. Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich described the response as an “iron fist”, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that every West Bank village should share the fate of Beit Hanoon in Gaza.

Over the weekend, 26 army battalions were deployed across the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces raided Tal nightly, arresting approximately 30 to 50 residents and searching around 70 homes. The campaign was also carried out in other areas, including Jenin, Tubas, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarem, and occupied East Jerusalem.

In Nablus, Israeli forces stormed the hospital, handcuffing doctors and nurses before detaining a wounded patient. Four new Israeli settlement outposts appeared overnight next to Tal and nearby villages of Awarta, Qusra, and Jabal Ubayd.

According to reports, 30 separate settler attacks were recorded across the West Bank over the weekend. Influential settler figures allegedly ignored appeals from army officers to calm the situation.

Settlers have been involved in numerous incidents, including burning Palestinian homes and vehicles, beating villagers, and setting fire to mosques. In Sarra, settlers burned six homes and five vehicles, while in Farata, they set fire to a woodworking shop, two homes, and farmland, wounding five Palestinians with gunfire, stones, and shrapnel.

The situation remains volatile, with ongoing reports of violence and arrests.

Source: Al Jazeera