Prepared by Khaled Youssef – Istanbul (Anadolu)

This incident comes amid escalating tension in the occupied West Bank, where various areas witness daily clashes between Palestinians, the Israeli army, and settlers.

An Israeli military investigation released on Friday showed that the shooting incident in Nablus, which resulted in the death of a settler and injury of three, was not premeditated by Palestinians, but occurred following the entry of settlers into the area without prior coordination with the army.

The army radio published the initial investigation results, stating that dozens of settlers organized a tour in areas classified as 'A' and 'B' near the town of Tel, southwest of Nablus in the northern West Bank, without prior coordination with the army.

It added that the settlers' entry into the town led to friction with Palestinians, which developed into a brawl between the two sides, before a Palestinian seized a weapon from one of the settlers' guards, after which the shooting incident erupted.

According to the radio, the investigation concluded that the shooting at the Israelis was not pre-planned, but occurred spontaneously as a result of developments following the friction.

The radio quoted the army as considering the entry of settlers without coordination 'a dangerous act,' while stressing that 'no one has the right to do whatever they want.'

Earlier on Friday, four Palestinians were killed and four others injured, three of them critically, in an attack carried out by the Israeli army and settlers on the town of Tel, southwest of Nablus, following the killing of a settler and injury of three others in a shooting operation near the town, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and local sources.

Subsequently, Israeli forces closed the entrances to Nablus and a number of surrounding towns and villages, including the town of Tel, and imposed a siege on the area, according to local sources.

Local sources told Anadolu that about 100 settlers attacked the town of Jit (near Tel) east of Qalqilya, throwing 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, while the Palestinian Red Crescent Society sent an ambulance to the area in anticipation of injuries.

The Israeli army said in a statement that it 'eliminated the perpetrator of the shooting operation' and recovered the weapon that it said had been seized, and also announced a joint assessment of the situation with the participation of army, police, and Shin Bet leaders.

In the same context, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would hold a meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to discuss developments, vowing to 'act firmly' against the perpetrators and those behind them, according to his words.

The Israeli army also announced in a later statement that its forces are preparing to carry out 'a wide operational activity' in the West Bank, and that it was decided to impose restrictions on troop movement and reinforce the number of forces deployed across the region.

The West Bank has witnessed continuous 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 incursions into cities, towns, and camps, alongside a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians and their property.

Those operations, according to official Palestinian data, have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and injuries to thousands, in addition to the arrest of thousands and widespread destruction of infrastructure, especially in the northern West Bank governorates.

The investigation reveals the tense relationship between settlers and the Israeli army, as the army often accuses settlers of carrying out uncoordinated moves that escalate tensions. The facts also indicate a rise in shootings by Palestinians in the West Bank recently, amid continued Israeli incursions into Palestinian cities. The incident highlights the danger of settlers entering areas officially under the Palestinian Authority, which could lead to violent confrontations. Palestinians and the international community are monitoring these developments in anticipation of further escalation in the coming days.