Israel Arrests Dozens in West Bank After Deadly Settler-Palestinian Shootout

Israeli forces arrested dozens of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank on Saturday following a deadly confrontation involving armed Israeli settlers, Palestinian villagers, and Israeli troops near the village of Tal, southwest of Nablus.

The violence erupted on Friday, leaving at least four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers dead. Palestinian officials said the clash began after armed Israeli settlers entered the village with the intent of attacking residents. The Israeli military initially described the civilians as hikers but later acknowledged that some were armed and confirmed that both Palestinians and Israelis exchanged gunfire before troops intervened.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a strong response, including plans to demolish the family home of one of the Palestinians involved in the incident. His office also announced that the government would accelerate approvals for new Israeli settlement construction in the area.

Tal Mayor Walid Zidan told Reuters that around 70 villagers were detained and questioned at a temporary field interrogation center established inside the village. He said only 10 to 12 people had been released, while Israeli forces continued house-to-house searches and patrols, leaving streets largely deserted.

The Israeli military said security forces questioned 80 people in Tal and arrested 11. It also reported additional arrests across the West Bank, including individuals it identified as Hamas suspects.

The West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, is home to hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers living alongside millions of Palestinians. Most countries and the United Nations consider Israeli settlements illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes, citing historical and biblical claims to the territory.

Videos shared on social media appeared to show a tense confrontation between Palestinian villagers and armed Israelis, with soldiers present. The footage shows physical altercations before a Palestinian man appears to seize a weapon and is then shot. Reuters could not independently verify the videos.

Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the operation was aimed at preventing further violence, combating terrorism, and protecting Israeli civilians. Meanwhile, Palestinian officials accused settlers of deliberately provoking the confrontation, underscoring growing international concern over rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank.