Five Dead After Violence Erupts in West Bank Village

Four Palestinians and one Israeli man died Friday in a violent encounter near the village of Tell in the West Bank. Reports on the catalyst for the violence conflict. The Israel Defense Forces stated that Palestinians attacked hikers near Havat Gilad, stole a weapon from a security coordinator, and killed 32-year-old Benayahu Mellet. The military reports that soldiers subsequently killed the primary attacker during a manhunt.

Conversely, Palestinian officials and local leaders claim 25 to 30 Israeli colonists initiated the violence by attacking homes in Tell. They allege that Israeli soldiers intervened to protect the colonists and opened fire indiscriminately, killing four young Palestinians—including two brothers and two cousins. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported four deaths and four injuries, three of whom remain in critical condition.

Following the incident, Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security consultation with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Netanyahu vowed that Israel would act with full force against those orchestrating terrorism in Judea and Samaria. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the military to use an iron fist against the town.

In response to the clashes, the Israeli military declared Tell a closed military zone and established a security cordon around the village and nearby Nablus, restricting movement and medical access. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the event as a massacre.