Israel Detains Over 70 in West Bank After Deadly Tell Clashes, Gaza Strikes Continue

Israel's military detained more than 70 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank after deadly violence in the village of Tell near Nablus left two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian villagers dead, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order an expanded military operation as fresh Israeli airstrikes killed at least four more people in Gaza.

The Israeli military said troops searched more than 300 locations overnight, detained 11 suspects in Tell and questioned around 80 others. The army said those arrested included alleged Hamas members, suspected arms traffickers and individuals accused of planning attacks. Additional arrests were carried out in Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarem, Hebron and other parts of the West Bank. Palestinian media reported that Israeli forces converted a house in Tell into a temporary field interrogation centre during the operation.

The violence erupted after armed Israeli settlers reportedly entered Tell and clashed with Palestinian residents. Israeli authorities described the incident as a terrorist attack, while Palestinian officials accused settlers and Israeli forces of launching assaults on the village. Following the clashes, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz directed the military to conduct a wide scale counterterrorism operation across the northern West Bank, with additional troops deployed and security restrictions tightened around Nablus.

Hospital officials in Nablus accused Israeli soldiers of storming Nablus Speciality Hospital, searching wards, detaining a seriously injured Palestinian man and intimidating patients and staff. The Israeli military did not directly address the hospital raid but said its operation targeted militants and weapons networks.

The unrest spread beyond Tell, with reports of settler attacks on nearby Palestinian communities that damaged homes, vehicles and property. On Sunday, Israeli settlers allegedly set fire to two mosques in Palestinian villages and defaced them with Hebrew graffiti, prompting condemnation from the Israeli military, which said it had opened an investigation. The incidents have intensified international concern over escalating settler violence and the continued expansion of Israeli settlements, which are widely regarded as illegal under international law.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes hit Khan Younis, Jabaliya, Gaza City, Nuseirat and Deir al Balah, killing at least four Palestinians and injuring more than 15, according to Palestinian health officials.