إسرائيل تخطط لعملية واسعة.. الضفة الغربية على حافة الانفجار

The Israeli army announced today (Friday) its intention to carry out a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank, following the killing of an Israeli and four Palestinians.

Postponement of Occupation Soldiers' Leave

The army stated in a statement following the attack that occurred in the Tel area that Israeli soldiers are preparing to execute a large-scale operation in this region. It added that it has postponed the leave of soldiers across the country and deployed its forces in the area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a "decisive response" after the killing of an Israeli, explaining that he would hold a meeting with security officials to "discuss ways to respond to the deadly attack." The Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Eyal Zamir, issued orders to deploy additional forces in the area and instructed the troops to apprehend those involved in the attack.

The incident occurred near the settlement of Havat Gilad and the nearby Palestinian village of Tel amid escalating violence in the occupied West Bank following the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the killing of four Palestinians and the injury of four others, three of whom are in serious condition, as a result of gunfire in the village of Tel.

Settlers Storm a Palestinian Village

An Israeli man in his 30s was killed near Havat Gilad, and two others in their 20s were injured by gunfire and evacuated by helicopter, with one in critical condition, according to the ambulance service "Magen David Adom." The head of the Tel village council, Walid Zidan, stated that about 20 Israeli settlers entered the village around 8:30 AM. He added, "The villagers came out to defend their homes and properties, leading to clashes between the residents and the settlers."

He confirmed that Israeli soldiers were present and began firing alongside the settlers... the settlers were the ones who stormed the village with the intent to kill and destroy properties and set them on fire.

For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it described as "the massacre and terrorist crime committed by a group of settlers, in partnership with the Israeli occupation forces."

Grieving relatives of the victims gathered at hospitals in the city of Nablus, and their bodies were transferred. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its teams dealt with 8 injuries, 6 of which were from live ammunition, during the attack by Israeli settlers on the village of Far'ata near Qalqilya, which is also adjacent to the settlement of Havat Gilad.

The head of the Far'ata village council, Abdul-Munim Shanina, told "France Press": "Settlers, accompanied by Israeli army forces, attacked the eastern side of the village following what happened in the neighboring village of Tel." He added that the settlers burned olive-planted lands near the homes and a commercial establishment, and when the village youths tried to extinguish the fires, the army prevented them and fired at them.

3 Million Palestinians in the West Bank

Excluding East Jerusalem, about three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, in addition to more than 500,000 Israelis residing in settlements deemed illegal under international law.

Official Israeli statistics indicate that at least 47 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations since the start of the war in Gaza.

According to a count by the "France Press" agency based on data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the Israeli army or settlers have killed at least 1,094 Palestinians, including militants and civilians.