According to residents of the West Bank village of Tell, Israeli forces shot and injured at least one Palestinian, detained at least three others, and blocked village entrances on Friday, July 31, 2026, as more than 100 Israeli settlers marched toward the area. The military actions in Tell, located near Nablus in the northern West Bank, follow a deadly settler attack days earlier that left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead, an incident Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government termed a terrorist act.
Israeli Forces Block Entrances and Detain Residents in Tell
Military operations in Tell have involved near-daily raids and arrests since the previous Friday, according to local residents. Monther Shtayyeh, deputy head of the local council, stated that Israel continues to hold at least 24 people from the village. Shtayyeh said that the detainees had no involvement in the events of the preceding week, describing the arrests as an expression of Israeli hostility and a form of collective punishment against local families.
Abdul Rahman Zidan, a 49-year-old resident living on the outskirts of Tell near local settlements, reported that when residents approach or attempt to defend their properties, the Israeli military deploys tear gas and live ammunition to force them back. Following the earlier violence, social media channels managed by settlers circulated calls for revenge. Israeli media outlets subsequently reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz pledged to expand military operations across the West Bank.
Settler March Accompanied by Property Damage and Looting
During Friday’s march, a Reuters reporter observed settlers looting goods from at least one Palestinian building while Israeli soldiers followed behind without intervening. Reuters journalists later visited a local cemetery where headstones were smashed, an act residents attributed to settlers operating in the presence of soldiers. Soldiers blocked roads to grant settlers unobstructed passage and deployed smoke grenades against vehicles approaching the procession.
Mustafa Ali Abu Bakr, a 76-year-old resident standing near the broken headstones of his wife and two sons, questioned the motivation behind the cemetery vandalism. Abu Bakr stated that the military assisted the settlers rather than halting the destruction. While the Israeli military stated its personnel were deployed in the area to disperse and evacuate settlers and acknowledged receiving reports of cemetery vandalism without providing further details, local Palestinians maintain that settler violence occurs with impunity due to military inaction or coordination.
Did you know? Most countries and United Nations bodies view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal, a position rejected by the Israeli government, which maintains the territory is disputed rather than occupied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the village of Tell located?
Tell is situated near the city of Nablus in the northern part of the West Bank.
What triggered the recent military measures in the village?
According to local reports and official statements, the latest escalation follows a settler attack that resulted in four Palestinian and two Israeli fatalities, leading to subsequent settler marches and expanded military operations.
How has the Israeli military responded to allegations of coordination with settlers?
The Israeli military denies accusations of inaction or coordination, stating that its forces operate in the area to disperse settlers and manage civil unrest.
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