A shooting incident occurred in the occupied West Bank on Friday resulting in the deaths of four Palestinians and one Israeli. Israeli and Palestinian health officials confirmed the fatalities.
According to the Israeli military, their forces were sent to an area southwest of Nablus following reports of an attack on Israeli civilians who were hiking. The military stated that a Palestinian individual had taken a weapon from local security forces and fired at the civilians.
Palestinian authorities reported that Israeli civilians attacked residents of the West Bank town of Tal, resulting in four dead and four injured Palestinians. The injuries were allegedly caused by both Israeli civilians and soldiers.
A temporary closure was enforced in Nablus and Tal as Israeli troops set up roadblocks and searched for the attackers, according to military sources.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting to discuss potential responses, as announced by his office.
Essam Saifi, a leader in the Palestinian Fatah party, detailed the incident to Reuters. He claimed that about 25 to 30 Jewish settlers initially attacked the eastern area of Tal, attempting to enter two houses. Residents emerged to fend off the attack, leading the settlers to open fire. Half an hour later, the settlers reportedly returned to attack the western part of the town, injuring a minor with a weapon. This escalated the situation, resulting in the arrival of the Israeli military, who, according to Saifi, began shooting alongside the settlers.