palestinechronicle.com Four Palestinians were killed and four others wounded during an Israeli military-settler assault on the town of Tell near Nablus on July 24, 2026, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The confrontation in Tell, southwest of Nablus, began when Israeli settlers backed by occupation forces attacked Palestinian homes, prompting residents to defend their community. A Palestinian reportedly seized a settler guard’s weapon and opened fire, killing one Israeli settler and wounding three others, according to Scoop.co.nz. The incident escalated into a large-scale Israeli military operation, with forces imposing a siege on Nablus and launching raids across the West Bank.
The Spark in Tell: A Defiant Resistance
The attack in Tell was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of resistance and repression. Scoop.co.nz reported that the confrontation marked a moment of direct defiance against Israeli occupation, with villagers refusing to retreat despite relentless military incursions.
The scale of violence since October 2023 has been staggering. Scoop.co.nz cited data showing that over 1,090 Palestinians, including 239 children, have been killed by Israeli forces and state-backed settlers. More than 6,800 have been injured, and over 10,000 displaced, with entire Bedouin and rural communities depopulated in the South Hebron Hills and Jordan Valley. The Israeli government, under Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has also declared tens of thousands of dunams of Palestinian land as “state land,” enabling further settlement expansion.
Escalation in Nablus and Beyond
Raids and arrests intensified in Nablus and surrounding areas. MiddleEastEye.net reported that Israeli forces detained two Palestinians from Rujeib village after an hours-long clash, during which they used a human shield to arrest Nabil al-Sawalhi and Mahmoud al-Tirawi. The soldiers fired five anti-armour shells at Sawalhi’s house, wounding four Palestinians. Meanwhile, settlers near Nablus were wounded when their vehicle was targeted, with injuries described as moderate to serious.
In Jenin, Israeli forces raided the town, arrested two young men, and destroyed furniture in a released prisoner’s home. MiddleEastEye.net noted that soldiers occupied rooftops, turned homes into observation points, and clashed with Palestinian gunmen in the German neighbourhood. Over 25 military vehicles were deployed, and residents reported heavy gunfire and explosions. In Tulkarm, six Palestinians were arrested, and a home in al-Faraa refugee camp was raided.
Widespread Arrests and Detentions
Israeli forces conducted widespread arrests across the West Bank, with AA.com.tr reporting three Palestinians injured and six arrested in Hebron and Nablus. In Hebron’s Wadi al-Rakhim area, armed occupiers attacked Palestinian homes, leaving three with fractures and wounds. In Nablus, three young men were detained after raids, with one detainee’s father beaten. The Jerusalem Governorate also revealed that Israeli forces converted the Popular Committee building in Qalandiya refugee camp into an interrogation center, detaining dozens of Palestinians.
PalestineChronicle.com noted that the latest fatalities follow a sharp escalation in military raids and settler attacks, with the Israeli military acknowledging a weapon seizure during the Tell confrontation and deploying reinforcements to the area.
A Pattern of Repression and Resistance
The events in Tell and subsequent raids reflect a strategic pattern of Israeli military and settler violence aimed at subduing Palestinian resistance. Scoop.co.nz highlighted that Netanyahu’s government has used local resistance to justify land grabs and demographic changes, with far-right ministers like Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir driving policies to expand settlements and alter the status quo in East Jerusalem. The UN’s Francesca Albanese has condemned these actions as pogroms against defenseless civilians,
calling for sanctions against Israel.
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