Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a firm response after four Palestinians and one Israeli settler were killed in a West Bank village attack.
Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the Israeli military to take forceful steps against terrorism following a deadly clash in the Palestinian village of Tell. The incident resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians, all from the same family, and one Israeli settler, Benayahu Mellet. While Palestinian residents described the event as a settler-led massacre supported by the military, the Israeli army stated it deployed troops to assist hikers who were attacked by a Palestinian who seized a security weapon. The administration of the Israeli government plans to respond by demolishing the home of the Palestinian responsible for the settler's death, revoking work permits, and collecting weapons in nearby villages. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the army to act with an "iron fist" to protect settlement pioneers. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the killings as a deliberate escalation of coordinated crimes between the occupation authorities and settler gangs.