Israeli military tears through Palestinian village; 70 homes razed

West Bank: Israeli forces launched a sweeping military operation across Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered expanded military action following recent clashes. In Tal, near Nablus, troops destroyed around 70 homes and arrested more than 50 Palestinians in what was described as one of the largest military raids in the area in recent months.

The escalation followed an incursion by armed Israeli settlers into Tal, an Area A locality under Palestinian Authority control. The settlers allegedly attacked residential neighbourhoods, triggering violence that left four Palestinians and two Israeli settlers dead.

Following the incident, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced an expanded military offensive targeting Palestinian villages. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also called for the destruction of Palestinian villages.

Israeli forces subsequently sealed off Nablus and Tal, erecting barricades on major roads, restricting civilian movement and carrying out extensive house-to-house searches. Troops also entered Nablus Speciality Hospital and detained injured Palestinians receiving treatment.

Israeli settlers later carried out attacks in the nearby villages of Far'ata, Imatin, Jit and Iraq Burin, setting fire to homes and vehicles, uprooting Palestinian olive groves with heavy machinery and opening fire, including on people with disabilities.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank this year has risen to 87. Most were reportedly killed in shootings and settler attacks. With entrances to cities sealed, thousands of Palestinians remain cut off from the outside world. Palestinian authorities and the Foreign Ministry condemned what they described as continued Israeli atrocities, blaming prolonged international silence for enabling the ongoing violence.