Istanbul / Anadolu

The Israeli army revealed on Friday its intention to carry out a large-scale military operation inside the occupied West Bank, simultaneously with its instructions to stop leaves for troops and intensify the military presence there, against the backdrop of a shooting incident that occurred near the town of Tel, located southwest of Nablus.

These field developments come amid escalating security tensions that Palestinian cities and towns have been witnessing for a long time.

A statement from the military establishment clarified that the deployed units are preparing to carry out intensive operational tasks in various parts of the West Bank, taking measures that prevent soldiers from leaving and reinforce field sectors with additional elements.

It added that the decision came following the shooting incident that occurred near the town of Tel, southwest of Nablus, in the northern West Bank.

Earlier on Friday, four Palestinians were killed and four others were injured, three of them critically, in an attack carried out by the Israeli army and settlers on the town of Tel, southwest of Nablus.

The attack was preceded by a shooting incident near the town that resulted in the death of a settler and the injury of three others, according to a statement by the Israeli army.

According to eyewitness accounts and local sources for Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces imposed a tight security cordon on the area and closed all entrances leading to the town of Tel immediately after the attack.

In this context, the army indicated that its forces arrested Palestinians whom it said were 'wanted' during the night hours and interrogated others, claiming to have confiscated combat means.

It stated that its forces arrested more than 80 Palestinians in the West Bank over the past week, including individuals it claimed belonged to the Hamas movement or were accused of incitement, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, or involvement in manufacturing or planting explosive devices.

The West Bank has witnessed ongoing escalation since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023, with the Israeli army intensifying its military operations and raids on cities, towns, and camps, coinciding with escalating settler attacks on Palestinians and their property.

These operations, according to official Palestinian data, have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and the injury of thousands, along with the arrest of thousands and widespread destruction of infrastructure, especially in the northern West Bank governorates.

The West Bank areas have witnessed escalating field tensions since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023. This has been accompanied by a marked increase in the pace of military raids and field confrontations, as well as escalating settler attacks on Palestinian residents and their property. These ongoing operations have resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, along with widespread arrest campaigns that have affected thousands, and have left massive destruction of infrastructure, especially in the northern governorates.