Israeli Forces Arrest 70 Palestinians After Deadly West Bank Clashes

Violent confrontations erupted in the West Bank on Friday after members of the David and Ahikam Hikers entered an area near the village of Tell without military coordination. The resulting clash left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead, including Major Yuval Ezra and security team member Benayahu Mellet. While the Israeli military initially described the settlers as hikers, it later acknowledged some were armed. Masked Israelis subsequently rioted in several Palestinian villages, and two new Israeli outposts were established near Tell.

Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a strong reaction to the violence, including the demolition of a Palestinian family home and the acceleration of new settlement construction. In the aftermath, the Israeli military conducted house-to-house searches in Tell and raided the Nablus Specialty Hospital, where soldiers detained staff and patients. By Saturday, the military reported the arrest of over 70 Palestinians across the territory, including alleged Hamas affiliates, to combat terrorism.

Separate violence occurred Saturday near the settlement of Susya, where Palestinian assailants injured an off-duty Israeli soldier with a stone and seized his weapon before the suspect was captured. Palestinian officials, including Dr. Jihad Ramadan, characterized the events as a massacre and accused the Israeli leadership of fueling escalation for electoral gain, while some Israeli residents criticized the military for failing to protect citizens.