Deadly Attack Near Nablus Intensifies Violence in the West Bank

Israel's Chief of General Staff Eyal Samir said during a visit to the town of Tell that every "terrorist" who had been involved in the attack would be "pursued." The army in turn announced an "extensive counter-terrorism operation" in the area of the latest confrontation. The Israeli army had dispatched additional troops to the area, and the major city of Nablus as well as towns in the surrounding area had been sealed off, reported ARD correspondent Khaled Abed from Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu Announces Raids and New Settlement Expansion

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said regarding the attack that he would consult with security officials about the response to the "deadly assault." In a statement, Netanyahu announced raids in Palestinian villages where fighters are suspected to be present. The population must be evacuated from there, for their "own protection," and then these villages must be cleared of "terrorist infrastructure and terrorists" in order to restore deterrence and security there, Netanyahu added.

At the same time, the head of government signaled the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. New so-called agricultural settlement outposts should be created and existing ones "legalized" more quickly, Netanyahu said — regardless of the fact that all settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law. Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among other areas, during the Six-Day War in 1967.

Calls for Retaliation from the Right-Wing Government

Israel's far-right Minister of Police and Security Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded on the platform X that the houses of "terrorists and their supporters" be destroyed from the air and with bulldozers, as had been done in the Gaza Strip. "For every murdered Jew, the enemy must suffer the loss of land and homes. This is the language spoken in the Middle East, and as we have spoken it in Gaza," Ben-Gvir wrote. Furthermore, he said, he would demand that the prime minister establish a new settlement.

Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also responsible for settlements, likewise joined the harsh demands. "These villages of terrorists, from which terrorism keeps emerging again and again, must look just like the refugee camps in Nablus and Tulkarm," Smotrich said. Further retaliatory actions must be expected, the correspondent concluded. Smotrich is demanding that villages be "cleared of terrorists."

Settlers and Palestinian Villagers

The head of the local settlers' regional council, Israel Gantz, also spoke. "We are determined not to yield. The settlements in Samaria and throughout Israel: We will only grow stronger, we will build even more here, we will never give in," Gantz said. The expectation of the government and the army leadership was that they would carry out a large military operation there: "A signal must be sent that the owner, that is Israel, snaps and will not tolerate this wave of terror," settler Gantz said. On the Palestinian side, the head of the village of Tell, Walid Sidan, said about 20 settlers had entered the village.

From the town of Jet in the vicinity, settler attacks were also reported following the attack. Yamal Yamin, the head of the local council, described the situation: "The settlers are attacking Jet from the southern part of the village, and the young people are trying to defend and protect the houses and the people. But they cannot stop them, since the settlers are vastly superior in number and are protected by the army." ARD correspondent Khaled Abed also reported: "The occupation forces are deployed throughout the entire area and have sealed off the village entrances. If we were to enter the village, the army would seize the bodies by force." In addition, Tell was completely sealed off, and there was a massive deployment of occupation forces.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the "terrorism" of Israeli settlers. In the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, around three million Palestinians and more than half a million Israelis live, whose settlements are illegal under international law. According to reports, 21 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the year alone in the contested area around Nablus.

Background: Violence in the West Bank Since 2023

The situation in the occupied West Bank has further intensified since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, in Israel and the Gaza war triggered by it. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, around 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since then in Israeli military operations, armed clashes, and attacks of their own. In the course of the Gaza war following the major attack by the radical Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in October 2023, violence has also increased significantly in the West Bank.

Gilad Farm, the scene of the latest attack, was only declared a full-fledged settlement by the Israeli cabinet in 2018. The outpost, which has existed since 2002, is considered one of the flashpoints of recurring violence between settlers and Palestinian villagers. Internationally, settlement expansion in the occupied territory is regarded as one of the greatest obstacles to a peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict.

Observers pointed out that the escalation in Nablus coincides with an election campaign and an internal political power struggle in Israel, in which right-wing politicians are increasing pressure on the government to take a tough line against Palestinian perpetrators. The demand for retaliation and new settlements is openly embraced by politicians such as Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. Human rights organizations warn that the announcement of mass raids and expulsions would violate international law.

International Assessment and Outlook

The international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, has repeatedly criticized settlement expansion as illegal and called for an immediate halt. No new statements from international mediators have been made known following the attack near Nablus. Concern is growing about a further escalation in the West Bank, which could also spill over into the Gaza war.

At the time of reporting, the exact casualty figures and the precise course of events of the attack near Nablus had not yet been conclusively clarified. The Israeli army stated that it would continue to investigate the incident. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas accused Israel of further aggravating the situation through the announced raids and settlement expansion.