At least four Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank, marking the deadliest single incident there in months. Because nothing says 'peace process' like a fresh batch of corpses.
The chaos unfolded in the northern village of Tal, where accounts diverge faster than a settler fleeing a confrontation. Palestinians told the BBC that residents confronted Jewish settlers who were attacking them, and then soldiers arrived and started shooting. Israel's military, however, said it responded to reports that hikers had been attacked, and that 'terrorists stole the weapon' of a security guard and killed him before being killed by soldiers. The other three killed were members of the same Palestinian family. A second Israeli, a soldier, was also killed.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later said it was preparing for 'extensive counterterrorism operational activity in the sector' - because that always de-escalates things.
Since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, there has been a surge in attacks by settlers on Palestinians and their property. Ahmed Zeidan, an eyewitness, told the BBC the incident began when locals rushed to confront about 30 settlers attacking Palestinian homes. Hand-to-hand clashes broke out in the presence of Israeli soldiers - a real community-building exercise.
Essam Saifi, a local Fatah leader, told Reuters that settlers opened fire before Israeli forces arrived and also started shooting. Palestinian officials said several others were wounded. The IDF, naturally, said Palestinians began the attack.
Two video clips have been widely shared but not independently verified. One shows a confrontation between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers and armed civilians, with gunshots and heckling. The second appears to show two men trying to grab guns - one successfully - leading to a chaotic scene and more gunfire. The IDF said a 27-year-old soldier 'fell during operational activity' - because clarity is overrated.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to act 'with full force against the terrorists and those who orchestrate and sponsor them.' His office issued a statement with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying the home of the Palestinian shooter would be demolished and that legalisation of unauthorised settler outposts would be speeded up. Outposts, which are illegal under international law and often just clusters of caravans, are apparently the solution to everything.
Yair Golan, leader of Israel's Democrats Party, described the statement as 'a clear intent to set the area ablaze.' Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the villages of 'the murderers' must be treated like Gaza, because that's worked out so well.
Since October 2023, 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, the vast majority by the IDF, the UN says. At least 35 of those deaths involved attacks by settlers. In the same period, 41 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations. The settlements, housing 700,000 Jews among 3.3 million Palestinians, remain illegal under international law - but hey, who's counting?