Israel has threatened a major military operation in the West Bank after clashes left one Israeli and four Palestinians dead.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a forceful response, while the military announced it was preparing to launch a large-scale operation in the occupied area.
“Following the terror attack earlier today in the area of Tel, IDF soldiers are preparing for extensive counterterrorism operational activity in the sector,” the military said. It added that it had postponed soldiers’ leave across the territory and had begun deploying forces in the area.
Netanyahu vowed in a statement to “act with full force against the terrorists and those who orchestrate and sponsor them,” and said he would convene a meeting of security officials.
Violence in the West Bank has increased since the Gaza war began with Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
Friday’s violence occurred near the settlement of Havat Gilad in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. About 20 settlers entered the village, and the residents came out to defend their homes, according to Walid Zidan, head of the village council. Although Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements there alongside about three million Palestinians.
“Israeli soldiers were present and together with the settlers began opening fire … it was the settlers who stormed the village, with the intention of killing, vandalizing and setting property on fire,” Zidan said.
Shots were fired on both sides, and a weapon belonging to the emergency response security team was “stolen by a Palestinian terrorist,” an Israeli military official said. In a separate incident, a few hours later, Israeli settlers also attacked the village of Farata. They allegedly set fire to olive groves, while the army prevented villagers from extinguishing the fires and opened fire on them, head of the local council Abdel Moneim Shanneh said. He added that five men were injured.
Since the start of the Gaza war, 47 Israelis and 1,094 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, according to AFP.
Friday’s incident reflects a broader shift in Israel’s security environment, where localized attacks increasingly carry strategic implications. As violence in the West Bank intensifies alongside the ongoing war in Gaza, Israeli decision-makers face the challenge of preventing isolated clashes from evolving into a sustained second front that could further strain military resources and regional stability.
