Conflict & Security
Tell buries four Palestinians killed in settler clash
On 25 July 2026, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank village of Tell buried four men killed during a clash with Israeli settlers the previous day, local officials said.
Walid Zidan, head of the Tell village council, said the families held a joint funeral early Saturday, but that the Israeli army restricted attendance and only about 30 people were able to take part. AFP journalists reported that residents offered condolences to the families while troops patrolled the village.
Zidan said about 20 Israelis from a nearby settlement entered the village on Friday and clashed with residents. The Israeli military said a Palestinian villager seized an Israeli's weapon and shot dead one settler. It said an emergency response team from a nearby settlement then went to the scene, and more gunfire left four Palestinians and a second Israeli dead.
Israeli forces closed gates and checkpoints across the West Bank, severely obstructing movement. Zidan said the military was still present in Tell on Saturday morning and had detained 51 residents for questioning, releasing six. Saif Hamza, who said he had been released after questioning, said each detained person was assigned a number that was written on their forehead.
After the deaths of the two Israelis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would allow more settlements in the region, carry out more raids in Palestinian villages suspected of hosting militants, and speed up the legalisation of farm outposts and the creation of new ones.
Ghassan Daghlas, the governor of the Nablus region, which includes Tell, attended a funerary prayer at the Nablus hospital, his office said. AFP journalists at the hospital reported that the four Palestinians' bodies were on stretchers and wrapped in Palestinian flags while relatives and friends said goodbye.
Ahmed Ramadan, the father of one of the men killed, said he was asked to go to the hospital and found on arrival that his son had been killed. Ismail al-Saifi, a Tell resident, said settler presence in the village was not isolated and that young men had confronted them to defend homes and land.
Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has risen since the Gaza war began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The source states that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, and that outposts are small settlements usually established without government approval.
Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, alongside about three million Palestinians. Israeli figures cited by the source show at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations since the start of the Gaza war. According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,097 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, over the same period.
Update
Walid Zidan said the Israeli army restricted attendance at the joint funeral to about 30 people.
Zidan said about 20 Israelis from a nearby settlement entered Tell on Friday and clashed with residents.
The Israeli military said a Palestinian villager seized an Israeli's weapon and shot dead one settler, after which further gunfire left four Palestinians and a second Israeli dead.
Israeli forces closed gates and checkpoints across the West Bank and restricted movement in Tell.
Zidan said 51 residents had been detained for questioning and six had been released by Saturday morning.
Released resident Saif Hamza said numbers were written on detainees' foreheads.
Nablus governor Ghassan Daghlas attended a funerary prayer at the Nablus hospital, his office said.
The source gives wider casualty figures since the start of the Gaza war: at least 48 Israelis killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, and at least 1,097 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 16:44:46 UTC.
Update
Benjamin Netanyahu said after the deaths of two Israelis in Tell that Israel would allow more settlements in the region.
Netanyahu said Israel would conduct more raids in Palestinian villages suspected of hosting militants and accelerate the legalisation of farm outposts and the establishment of new ones.
The Israeli military said a Palestinian villager seized an Israeli's weapon and shot dead one settler, after which an emergency response team from a nearby settlement came to the scene and more gunfire left four Palestinians and a second Israeli dead.
AFP journalists reported that Israeli forces closed gates and checkpoints throughout the West Bank, severely obstructing movement.
Walid Zidan said the military was still present in Tell on Saturday morning, had detained 51 residents for questioning and had released six.
A released resident, Saif Hamza, said each person brought in was assigned a number written on their forehead.
The Nablus governor's office said Governor Ghassan Daghlas attended the funeral procession, and an AFP journalist reported the bodies were wrapped in Palestinian flags at the hospital.
The source gave wider casualty figures since the start of the Gaza war, citing Israeli figures and an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 15:12:09 UTC.
Update
Palestinians in Tell buried the four Palestinian men killed in the clash.
Walid Zidan said the army restricted attendance at the funeral and about 30 people were able to attend.
Zidan said Israeli forces were still present in Tell on Saturday morning, had detained 51 residents for questioning and had released six.
Ghassan Daghlas, governor of the Nablus region, attended the funeral, according to his office.
The governor's office said a photo posted on Facebook showed the four bodies on stretchers and wrapped in Palestinian flags.
AFP journalists reported that Israeli forces closed gates and checkpoints across the West Bank, severely obstructing movement.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 07:49:49 UTC.
Update
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered steps including accelerating legalisation of farm outposts and establishing new ones in the West Bank.
Netanyahu also announced raids in Palestinian villages suspected of hosting militants.
The Israeli military said a second Israeli killed in the violence was an officer.
The Israeli military said it was preparing an extensive counterterrorism operation in the West Bank and had postponed soldiers' leave there.
Palestinian sources reported further settler-related violence in Awarta, Sarra, Urif, Amriha, Masafer Yatta and Farata.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said it transported eight people injured in Farata, including six with bullet wounds, and reported two men wounded in Sarra.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 19:56:08 UTC.
Update
The Palestinian Authority presidency condemned violence by Israeli settlers after a clash that left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead.
Mahmoud Abbas' office issued the statement through the official Wafa news agency.
The presidency specifically denounced the killing of four Palestinians by settlers.
The statement also cited subsequent settler attacks on civilians and property in Urif, Surra, Imatin, Far'ata, Umriha and Masafer Yatta.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 19:00:52 UTC.
Update
The Palestinian Authority condemned what it called Israeli settler terrorism after West Bank clashes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 18:48:49 UTC.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered new settler outposts in the occupied West Bank after the clash.
Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced steps including raids in Palestinian villages suspected of hosting militants and faster legalisation of farm outposts.
The incident left two Israelis and four Palestinians dead, according to the source.
The Palestinian health ministry reported four Palestinians killed and four wounded.
The Israeli military said shots were fired on both sides and said a weapon was stolen from a member of the Havat Gilad emergency response security team.
Israel's Magen David Adom said two people in their twenties were evacuated by helicopter with gunshot wounds, one in serious condition.
The Israeli military said it was preparing extensive counterterrorism activity in the area and had postponed soldiers' leave across the territory.
A separate later attack was reported in Farata, where the Palestinian Red Crescent said eight people were injured, including six with live bullet wounds.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 14:16:52 UTC.
Update
The Israeli military identified the second Israeli killed as Major Yuval Ezra, 27.
The military said Ezra fell during operational activity in the area of the village of Tell.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 13:16:35 UTC.
Update
The Israeli military said a second Israeli was killed in the West Bank clash.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 13:01:11 UTC.
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Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would establish new settler outposts in the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu said the government would legalise more existing outposts.
Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced steps including raids in Palestinian villages suspected of hosting militants.
The announced steps include accelerating the legalisation of farm outposts and the establishment of new ones.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 12:53:01 UTC.
Update
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to act with force and said he would convene security officials.
The violence occurred near Havat Gilad and the Palestinian village of Tell.
The head of Tell village council said about 20 settlers entered the village before clashes began.
The Palestinian health ministry reported four Palestinians killed and four others wounded.
An Israeli military official said shots were fired on both sides, one emergency response security team member was killed, additional security members were injured, and a weapon was stolen.
Magen David Adom said two other people in their twenties were evacuated by helicopter with gunshot wounds, one in serious condition.
The Israeli military said soldiers' leave in the territory had been postponed and forces were being deployed.
A local council head said settlers later attacked Farata, set fire to olive groves, and five men were injured.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 11:59:28 UTC.
Update
The Israeli military said the planned activity followed what it called a terror attack earlier in the day in the Tel area.
The military said it had postponed soldiers' leave across the territory.
The military said it had begun deploying forces in the area.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 10:54:01 UTC.
Update
The Israeli army said it was preparing an extensive operation in the West Bank after the violence.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 10:41:14 UTC.
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The source places the incident near the settlement of Havat Gilad and the neighbouring Palestinian village of Tel.
The Palestinian health ministry said four people were killed and four others wounded in Tel, including three in critical condition.
Magen David Adom said an Israeli man in his thirties was pronounced dead near Havat Gilad and two other people with gunshot wounds were evacuated by helicopter.
The head of Tel village council alleged that about 20 Israeli settlers entered the village and that settlers and Israeli soldiers opened fire.
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned what it called a massacre by settlers in partnership with occupation forces.
The Israeli military said soldiers were deployed after reports of an attack on Israeli civilians hiking near Havat Gilad and said attackers seized a security force member's weapon and opened fire.
Roadblocks were reported around the scene, and the military said it was searching for the attackers.
Netanyahu said he would convene security officials, and Israel's military chief ordered additional troops deployed to the area.
The source adds West Bank casualty figures since the start of the Gaza war from official Israeli figures and an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 09:23:35 UTC.
Update
Israel's prime minister vowed to act "with force" after the occupied West Bank attack.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 07:31:20 UTC.
Update
The Palestinian health ministry said the deaths happened in Tel in the north of the occupied West Bank.
The ministry said four other people were wounded, including three in critical condition.
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said a 30-year-old Israeli man was killed.
Israel's military said it retaliated after an attack on Israeli civilians.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 07:23:47 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The source attributes key accounts of how the clash began and unfolded to local officials and the Israeli military.
Source
AFP news report published on .