Six Dead in West Bank Clash as Netanyahu Vows Hard Response to Settler Violence

Six people, including four Palestinians and two Israelis, died Friday during a violent confrontation in the village of Til, north of Nablus in the West Bank.

Violence in Til and Conflicting Accounts

Under the Oslo Accords, Area A is under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and Israeli citizens are prohibited from entering. However, Til Mayor Walid Zidan stated in a communiqué that residents intervened to defend homeowners from an attack, leading to a physical fight after a verbal confrontation.

Video footage of the encounter shows a member of a “early security team”—settlers serving as reserves with long-range weapons—kicking a Palestinian man. The Palestinian man grabbed the settler’s rifle and opened fire. The Israeli military confirmed it shot and killed the man who seized the weapon, asserting he was armed. Two Israelis died in the fray: a soldier and the security coordinator for Havat Gilad, a settlement known for a history of violence against Palestinians. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported four Palestinian deaths—including two brothers and their cousins—and four injuries, three of them serious.

Netanyahu’s Policy Shift and Military Response

He directed the Israeli army to act “with toughness” in villages described as terrorist centers, which includes seizing weapons and revoking work permits. To restrict movement, the government is increasing the number of barriers and checkpoints on West Bank roads.

He plans to fast-track the national legalization of “farm-settlements”—outposts used to claim Palestinian land—and establish new ones. This aligns with the security doctrine described by Chief of Staff Avi Bluth, who stated that the existence of these settlements is central to Israel’s security strategy.

Hospital Raid and Humanitarian Access

Hours after the deaths in Til, Israeli soldiers entered a hospital in Nablus to arrest a wounded Palestinian and his brother. The PNA government denounced the operation, supported by security camera footage showing at least six people forced to lie face-down with their hands on their necks. According to Dani Al Masri, vice president of the hospital’s administrative board, troops confiscated security recordings and attempted to blow open the doors of the administrative office.

The Israeli military has also restricted access to villages surrounding Nablus using concrete blocks and fences. These closures have prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded during subsequent settler attacks in towns such as Sarra, where Palestinian firefighters were filmed extinguishing fires set by settlers.

Escalation and Casualties in the West Bank

The violence in Til is part of a broader surge in lethal encounters. The Palestinian Ministry of Health of the PNA reports that 87 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank so far this year, with 21 of those deaths caused by settlers. The Israeli army recently reported separate incidents involving stabbings that resulted in three dead Palestinians and two wounded Israelis.

The political rhetoric following the Til incident suggests further escalation. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich labeled the villages of Til and Iraq Burin as “terrorist bastions” and called for them to be evacuated and dismantled, similar to the forced clearances of refugee camps in Nablus and Tulkarem that began in January 2025.