NETANYAHU ORDERS MILITARY MEASURES AFTER WEST BANK CLASH KILLS FIVE

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the Israel Defence Forces to take "firm measures against terrorism" following a deadly clash in the occupied West Bank on Friday around the village of Tell. Four Palestinians were killed and four others injured by Israeli forces, according to the Palestinian health ministry. An Israeli man was also killed in the incident, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said. Netanyahu ordered the IDF to demolish "the home of the terrorist who carried out this morning's attack," conduct "vigorous operations in villages that serve as centres of terrorism," and reinforce military presence throughout the region.

Details of the incident remain disputed. The IDF stated that Israeli civilians were "hiking in the area" when a Palestinian resident stole a weapon from a security officer and opened fire at the Israelis. The Palestinian News Agency WAFA reported that an Israeli group from Havat Gilad "attacked the eastern part of the village" and set fire to a shop, two homes and agricultural land. Video footage circulating on social media showed armed men moving towards Palestinians before gunshots broke out. The IDF said its forces killed the person who allegedly took the weapon. Netanyahu also announced that the IDF would "accelerate the legalisation of existing farms and the establishment of new ones."

The rights group B'Tselem called on the international community to take immediate action to stop violence by settler militias and the Israeli army across the West Bank. The group said recent days had seen escalating attacks including destruction of Palestinian property and forced expulsion of families. The West Bank has experienced a surge in violence since the start of the war in Gaza following Hamas's October 7 attacks in 2023. According to UN figures from October 2024, approximately 737,000 Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.