Palestinian residents look at their destroyed vehicle torched along with their home in an attack reportedly by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian village of Sarra, west of the the city of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West bank on July 24, 2026. (AFP)
Türkiye has condemned escalating settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories after four Palestinians were killed during a confrontation involving Israeli settlers, troops and residents near the West Bank city of Nablus.
The Foreign Ministry said the four Palestinians were killed by “settler terrorists encouraged by the Netanyahu government,” describing the incident as “a consequence of Israel’s ongoing genocidal policy.”
It called on the international community to ensure that those responsible for attacks and the seizure of Palestinian land were brought to justice.
The condemnation followed violence in the village of Tell, southwest of Nablus, that left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead on July 24.
Palestinian and Israeli accounts differed over how the shooting began. Palestinian officials said settlers entered the village and tried to attack homes, prompting residents to confront them. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces.
The Israeli military said a group of Israeli civilians had entered Palestinian Authority-controlled territory without authorization. It said a Palestinian seized a weapon during the ensuing confrontation and opened fire, killing a member of a nearby settlement’s security team and an Israeli army officer.
The army then shot and killed four Palestinians, including the alleged gunman, according to the Israeli account.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz subsequently ordered expanded military operations, additional troop deployments and new checkpoints across the West Bank. They also called for faster authorization of settlement outposts.
Israeli settlers later attacked several Palestinian villages near Nablus, setting fire to homes and other property, Palestinian officials said.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Palestinian villages in the West Bank to be treated like Beit Hanoun in Gaza and urged the military to bomb and bulldoze homes. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the army to act with an “iron fist” against Tell and the surrounding area.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the latest deaths brought the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank this year to 87.
