Key facts
- Israeli forces conducted widespread raids across the occupied West Bank on Saturday.
- At least 66 Palestinians were detained in the operation.
- The raids followed a shootout where at least four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed 'powerful action' and to accelerate settlement construction.
- The Israeli military issued orders to uproot olive trees and seize Palestinian land in Jenin.
Israeli forces arrested dozens of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, following a deadly shootout that involved armed Israeli settlers and villagers. The military operation included widespread raids and detentions across multiple locations, with approximately 66 Palestinians taken into custody. The incident that preceded the raids occurred near Tal, southwest of Nablus, where at least four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed. Palestinian authorities stated that Israeli settlers provoked the confrontation, aiming to attack villagers. The Israeli military acknowledged that some civilians involved were armed and that gunfire erupted before troops intervened. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by vowing to take 'powerful action' and accelerate the approval of new Israeli settlements in the area. The mayor of Tal, Walid Zidan, reported that around 70 people from his village were detained and questioned at a field center, with about 10 to 12 subsequently released. He described ongoing house raids and restricted movement within the village. The confrontation took place in 'area A' of the West Bank, a region under Palestinian administrative control where Israeli civilians are generally barred. Footage circulating on social media appeared to show a standoff between villagers and armed Israelis, with soldiers present. Voices in the footage could be heard shouting in Hebrew, including calls for shooting. Reuters has not independently authenticated the footage. Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir stated the security operation was intended 'to thwart terrorism, ensure the security of Israeli civilians and prevent further escalation.' The mayor of Tal, however, asserted that the settlers intended to attack homes and that villagers were merely defending their residences. In a new development, the Israeli military issued two orders to uproot vegetation and olive trees and seize Palestinian land in the Jenin governorate. The first order targets 32.941 dunums (8.13 acres) of land in Jaba' and Ajjah, while the second involves the seizure of 22.026 dunums (5.44 acres) in Al-Yamun.