Northern West Bank in lockdown as clashes rock villages and Israel deploys troops in Nablus

By — Majdi Mohammed, Associated Press Majdi Mohammed, Associated Press By — Aref Tufaha, Associated Press Aref Tufaha, Associated Press By — Erin Cunningham, Associated Press Erin Cunningham, Associated Press By — Sam McNeil, Associated Press Sam McNeil, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/northern-west-bank-in-lockdown-as-clashes-rock-villages-and-israel-deploys-troops-in-nablus Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Northern West Bank in lockdown as clashes rock villages and Israel deploys troops in Nablus World Jul 24, 2026 12:00 PM EDT NABLUS, West Bank (AP) — Israel widely deployed troops in the West Bank after clashes broke out Friday across the occupied territory following the killing of an Israeli settler triggered violence that left two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian villagers dead. Palestinians in the West Bank have been facing a wave of violence as Israel's hard-line government, dominated by settler leaders and supporters, has overseen a surge in settlement construction over the past four years. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. 4 Palestinians and 2 Israelis killed as fear of violence escalates The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers shot and killed four Palestinians in the village of Tell in the northern West Bank while the military reported the deaths of two soldiers, one of whom was a settler in a local defense squad. Two other Israelis and four more Palestinians were wounded, health officials said, and the Israeli military announced it was preparing for an "extensive" counterterror operation in the West Bank. It said it conducting a manhunt for Palestinians suspected of attacking Israelis and that it had apprehended two during a raid in Nablus. READ MORE: Israeli strikes kill at least a dozen people in Gaza, including police officers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a joint statement with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, called Friday for more troops to the West Bank and the razing of the homes of the accused in Tell, as well as collecting weapons and revoking work permits in the village. "The security forces must be allowed to act freely and with full force against terrorism," they said. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went farther, saying that the villages of Tell, Iraq Burin and Beit Furik "need to look exactly like the refugee camps in Nablus and Tulkarm," referring to the mass demolition campaign that displaced tens of thousands in the West Bank towns last year. WATCH: World Cup brings Gazans moments of joy and hope amid devastation "It is necessary to evacuate the population there for their protection and to clear these villages of terrorist infrastructure," Smotrich said. "A sharp, determined, and unequivocal military action is required here and now." Human rights group B'Tselem