Israeli forces on Saturday carried out a large-scale raid in a village near the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, detaining at least 80 Palestinians a day after two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed.
The arrests took place in the village of Tell, where the earlier deadly violence had been sparked by a settler attack, the Wafa news agency reported.
Saturday's raid came just hours after Israel reinforced troops and locked down large areas of the occupied West Bank after the four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed.
On Friday afternoon, Israel said it was to embark on a “major counter-terrorism operation". That included a raid on a hospital in the northern city of Nablus, during which two Palestinians were arrested.
"Large-scale settler-militias pogroms and military attacks [were] under way in multiple Palestinian villages and cities” after the killings, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said on Friday.
Palestinian media reported that at least six houses had been set on fire during clashes near Nablus, with several people injured.
In the incident that caused the latest flare-up of violence, the Israeli military claimed Palestinians attacked a group of Israelis “hiking” near Tell. The attackers stole a weapon and opened fire on the settlers, the military said in a statement on Friday.
It said soldiers “eliminated the terrorist who executed the terror attack”. One of the Israelis killed was identified as Benayahu Mellet, 32, from the Havat Gilad settlement. The military later announced the death of soldier Yuval Ezra, 27.
Palestinian officials said four Palestinians were injured in the violence.
Also on Saturday morning, Israeli forces raided the West Bank cities of Jenin and Tubas, Wafa said. There were no immediate reports about arrests. The Israeli military has not yet commented on Saturday's operations.
Israel’s military said on Friday that one of its soldiers was injured in a stabbing attack near Jenin. The suspected attacker was shot dead.
Settlers are also reported to have attacked the Palestinian village of Jit. Jamal Yamin, head of the village, told Wafa that “hundreds” of settlers attacked the area on Friday morning, attempting to break into property and burn it down.
Mr Yamin added that attacks in the area had “significantly escalated recently”.
Israel's military said it postponed leave for soldiers serving in the West Bank, as it prepares for “extensive counter-terrorism operational activity”.
Violence in the West Bank has significantly increased since the start of the Gaza war in 2023, with Israel launching major attacks and imposing restrictions on movement. Settlers attack Palestinian civilians on an almost daily basis, leading to record numbers of killings.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has sharply increased the rate of settlement construction.
Mr Netanyahu held a security consultation on the violence, his office said in a statement on Friday afternoon. After the meeting, Mr Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to demolish an alleged attacker's home, conduct a "powerful operation in villages that are hotbeds of terror” and impose traffic controls on Palestinians.
The government also plans to recognise Israeli farming outposts that are currently illegal under Israeli law.
