The Israeli ambulance service said that an Israeli was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting near the Havat Gilad settlement in the West Bank on Friday morning.
For its part, the Israeli army announced in a statement that it had sent forces to an area near Havat Gilad after what it claimed was an “attack on Israelis who were hiking in the area,” and imposed a siege on Nablus and the town of Tell in the West Bank.
The Israeli army claimed that the settlers were out for a walk, without mentioning their attacks that led to the martyrdom of 4 Palestinians.
Issam Saifi, a local Fatah leader from Tel, stated by phone that the settlers initiated the attack first. He said, “I mean, approximately 25 to 30 settlers attacked the eastern area of Tel first and tried to break into two houses there. The people came out and confronted them, and the settlers opened fire on the young men, and then the settlers withdrew.”
He added, “Half an hour later, we were surprised to find that the same settlers, the same group, turned around and attacked the western area of Tel, targeting houses in the western area of Tel as well. The youth tried to stop them. Clashes ensued, and gunfire erupted. The army came and tried to prevent the youth from advancing towards the settlers.”
He pointed out that one of the settlers hit a Palestinian youth in the face and said, “Suddenly a settler opens fire and hits one of the youths in the face with his weapon, and the youth falls to the ground. At this moment chaos ensues, and the army starts firing to the right and to the left in all directions, and the settlers start firing… Four were martyred.”
The Israeli army claimed that Palestinians “seized a security guard’s weapon and opened fire on Israelis near Havat Gilad.”
Later, the army announced that it had killed a Palestinian who it claimed was the perpetrator of the shooting.
Channel 13 reported that Palestinians “seized” the weapon of the security official of the Havat Gilad settlement and opened fire on settlers, “resulting in the death of one Israeli and the injury of three others.”
The channel claimed that a number of Israeli settlers “were walking near the village of Tel and its mosque when they were attacked by Palestinians, prompting the settlement’s security guard to intervene, after which Palestinians seized the guard’s weapon and opened fire.”
The channel did not mention that the settlers were attacking Palestinians in the village, and merely stated that they were “walking through it.”
Channel 12 reported that Israeli army forces had deployed and imposed a "security cordon" on the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a "firm" response.
“We will act decisively against the terrorists and those who sent them,” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office, adding that he would hold a meeting with security officials “to discuss the response to this bloody attack.”
Meanwhile, the Maariv newspaper reported that the head of the West Bank Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, arrived at the scene of the accident.
The newspaper quoted Dagan as admitting his intention to “continue building, developing and strengthening settlements” in the West Bank, in violation of international law.
He threatened, saying: “Anyone who tries to harm us should know that they will face a stronger and broader Samaria (the Jewish name for the West Bank).”
Earlier on Friday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the martyrdom of 4 citizens, shot by Israeli occupation forces, in the village of Tell, southwest of Nablus .
Following the events, the occupation forces closed the entrances to the city of Nablus and a number of its towns, coinciding with new attacks carried out by settlers on villages and towns in the governorate.
Local sources said that the Israeli army imposed a siege on the city of Nablus, and closed its main entrances, in addition to the entrances to several towns and villages, including the town of Tell, west of the city.
She added that about 100 settlers attacked the town of Jit (near Tel) east of Qalqilya, and threw stones at Palestinian homes, under the protection of the Israeli army.
In southern Nablus, settlers attacked the town of Iraq Burin and set fire to agricultural lands, leading to clashes with residents who tried to repel the attack. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society dispatched an ambulance to the scene in anticipation of injuries.
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