Four Palestinians and one Israeli killed in West Bank shooting

Image source, Magen David Adom Image caption, It was the deadliest incident of its kind in the West Bank for months By Yolande Knell , Middle East correspondent , Reporting from Jerusalem  and  Raffi Berg , Reporting from London Published 11 minutes ago At least four Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank - the deadliest single incident there in months. Palestinian sources told the BBC that residents of the northern village of Tal were shot by Israeli soldiers as they confronted Jewish settlers who were attacking them. The Palestinian foreign ministry said several other Palestinians were wounded. Israel's military said "terrorists stole the weapon" of a security guard who was killed, and shot at Israeli hikers who had reported coming under attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was preparing for a major operation in the area and had cancelled soldiers' leave. Violence has surged in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in 2023 following the 7 October attacks. Ahmed Zeidan, an eyewitness, told the BBC the latest incident began early in the morning, when locals in Tal rushed to confront about 30 settlers who were attacking Palestinian homes. He said hand-to-hand clashes broke out in the presence of Israeli soldiers, before escalating into gunfire between the settlers and the young men. A local leader of the ruling Fatah party, Essam Saifi, told Reuters news agency that settlers opened fire before Israeli forces arrived and also started shooting. He said two brothers and two of their cousins were among those killed. The IDF said Palestinians began the attack. It said soldiers had gone to Tal following a report of an attack on Israeli civilians who were hiking in the area. A security guard from a nearby settler outpost went to the scene but had his weapon stolen by a Palestinian who shot and killed him, it said. Soldiers then "eliminated the terrorist who executed the terror attack", the IDF added. The Israeli ambulance service said two Israelis were also wounded. The Palestinian foreign ministry said it "condemns in the strongest terms the massacre" in Tal. It said "the escalation of settler terrorism is a direct consequence of the protection, political backing, and complete impunity granted by the Israeli government and occupation forces". "Official Israeli incitement continues to fuel and encourage these crimes, creating an environment in which settler violence flourishes without accountability," it added. An AFP reporter at the site, south-west of Nablus, said roadblocks had been set up and troops were searching for additional suspects. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to act "with full force against the terrorists and those who orchestrate and sponsor them". He called an emergency meeting with security officials, and reinforcements have been sent to the area, close to the settlement of Havat Gilad. There has been a surge in attacks by settlers on Palestinians an