Palestinians Bury Four Killed in West Bank Clash with Israeli Settlers

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank village of Tell held a funeral Saturday for four men who died during a confrontation with Israeli settlers the day before. Local officials stated that the families of the deceased held a common funeral around 1:00 am, but Israeli army restrictions limited attendance to about 30 people.

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has intensified since the Gaza war commenced with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. On Friday, approximately 20 Israelis from a nearby settlement entered Tell and clashed with residents who were defending their property. According to the Israeli military, a Palestinian villager seized an Israeli's weapon and fatally shot one settler. An emergency response team from another settlement arrived, leading to further gunfire that resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians and a second Israeli.

Following the clash, Israeli forces imposed closures on gates and checkpoints throughout the West Bank, significantly hindering movement, according to AFP journalists. Even by the time of the funeral, movement remained restricted. The Israeli military maintained a presence in the village on Saturday morning, having detained 51 residents for questioning, though only six were subsequently released.

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Families of the four martyrs held a common funeral early this morning, around 1:00 am (2200 GMT), but the army restricted who could attend and only about 30 people were able to be there.

Ghassan Daghlas, the governor of the Nablus region, which includes Tell, attended the funeral. His office released a statement saying Daghlas participated in the procession amid a large public turnout from the village and across the Nablus Governorate. A photo posted with the statement showed the four deceased Palestinians wrapped in Palestinian flags.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The number of settlements in the Palestinian territory, considered illegal under international law, has grown significantly in recent years. Excluding East Jerusalem, over 500,000 Israelis reside in West Bank settlements, which are home to approximately three million Palestinians. Since the start of the Gaza war, Israeli figures indicate at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations. An AFP tally, based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, reports that at least 1,094 Palestinians, encompassing both combatants and civilians, have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers during the same period.

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Daghlas participated in the funeral procession of the martyrs from the village of Tell, amid a large public turnout of residents from the village and across Nablus Governorate.