Four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in a confrontation near the village of Tell, south-west of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, after armed settlers entered the village with Israeli military support. The incident occurred around 08:30 local time when approximately 30 settlers moved into Tell, sparkling a firefight near the Havat Gilad settlement outpost.
The Israeli dead were named as Benayahu Mellet, 32, a security guard, and Major Yuval Ezra, 27. Four other Palestinians were wounded in the exchange. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered an expanded military presence and the razing of homes in Tell, while the Israeli military announced it was preparing an extensive operation in the area.
The army imposed a closure on Nablus and Tell as forces launched what the Central Command chief described as a large-scale counter-terrorism operation. Israeli forces also raided Nablus Specialized Hospital, arresting two brothers, one of whom was wounded. The violence follows a separate stabbing attack that left a 51-year-old Israeli critically wounded near the Elon Moreh settlement.