Four Palestinians killed in Israeli raid on West Bank town

JERUSALEM: At least four Palestinians were killed and four others wounded after Israeli forces, accompanied by Israeli settlers, launched a raid on a town in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to Palestinian health officials and local sources.

The latest violence took place in the town of Tell, located southwest of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, where tensions have continued to escalate amid repeated military operations and attacks by Israeli settlers.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement that the death toll from the incident had risen to four. It added that four more Palestinians were injured during the assault, with three of the wounded reported to be in critical condition and receiving emergency medical treatment.

According to local residents and security sources, Israeli settlers entered the town before Israeli troops moved in, triggering panic among residents. Witnesses said the attackers targeted several residential neighborhoods and opened direct fire at two Palestinian homes.

Residents described scenes of chaos as families rushed to take shelter while ambulances struggled to reach the wounded. Emergency crews and local volunteers evacuated the injured under difficult conditions as sporadic gunfire continued in parts of the town.

The incident marks another deadly episode in the occupied West Bank, where confrontations between Israeli forces, settlers and Palestinians have intensified in recent months. Rights groups and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over the growing number of civilian casualties and attacks on residential areas.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health condemned the killings and called on the international community to take immediate steps to protect civilians in the occupied territories. Palestinian officials have also urged international organizations to investigate the latest incident and hold those responsible accountable.

Israeli authorities had not immediately issued a detailed statement regarding the operation or responded to the allegations made by Palestinian officials at the time of reporting.

The occupied West Bank has witnessed a sharp rise in violence alongside the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with frequent Israeli military raids, armed confrontations and settler attacks contributing to worsening security conditions across the territory.

Friday’s deadly raid in Tell adds to growing international concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, as calls for restraint and renewed diplomatic efforts continue to mount. With casualties increasing and tensions showing little sign of easing, fears remain that violence could spread further across the region in the coming days.