Settler Raid, Military Offensive, and Unrest in the West Bank: What Happened After July 24, 2026

This is a sourced, verified account of the incident and its immediate aftermath, drawing from major news agencies, human rights organizations, and official Palestinian and Israeli sources.

The July 24 Incident in Tell (Tal)

The violence began when approximately 20 Israeli settlers entered the area near Tell. In the ensuing confrontation, a Palestinian civilian grabbed a weapon from a member of the Havat Gilad settlement's security squad, identified as Benayahu Mellet, and opened fire . Mellet, a 32-year-old reserve soldier and security coordinator, was killed, along with IDF artillery battery commander Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27 . Israeli forces then opened fire, killing four Palestinians and wounding at least four others, three critically . The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed four dead and four wounded . The Palestinian death toll in the West Bank over the week leading up to July 24 alone reached 10 .

Immediate Israeli Military Response

Hours after the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement ordering the IDF to launch a "wide-scale military operation" in Palestinian villages across the West Bank . Specific measures included:

• Home demolition: Netanyahu ordered the demolition of the Palestinian attacker's home .
• Reinforcements: The military dispatched additional troops to the area around Nablus and deployed forces to lock down large parts of the northern West Bank .
• Movement restrictions: The military imposed a lockdown on Tell and surrounding areas, conducting hospital raids and mass searches .

Mass Arrests and Raids

The military response included a sweeping arrest campaign. On Saturday, July 25, Israeli forces detained at least 80 Palestinians across the West Bank, most of them from Tell near Nablus, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club . The Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office said more than 30 were detained in Tell alone, with additional arrests in Jenin, Ramallah, Hebron, and Tulkarem . The raids included searches of roughly 70 homes in Tell . By Sunday, July 26, another 58 Palestinians were detained in further raids across Nablus, Hebron, and Tulkarem .

Settler Arson Attacks on Mosques

Overnight on July 25-26, settler attacks escalated dramatically:

• Qusra: Masked settlers set fire to a mosque under construction, spray-painting "Revenge" and other Hebrew graffiti on the walls . The IDF entered the village afterward but said the suspects had fled . One graffiti read "Revenge Benayahu," referring to the killed security squad member .
• Kour (near Tulkarm): Settlers set fire to parts of another mosque .
• Settlers also burned agricultural fields, damaged vehicles, and vandalized property in multiple villages .

Netanyahu's Order to Establish New Settler Outposts

On the same day, July 24, Netanyahu announced he had directed the IDF to "accelerate the legalisation of existing farms and the establishment of new ones" — effectively ordering the creation of new settler outposts in the West Bank . He also ordered the legalization of the Havat Gilad outpost, the settlement near Tell .

Broader Context of 2026 Violence

The July 24 events unfolded against a backdrop of historically high violence in the West Bank. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in the first five months of 2026, settlers killed 13 Palestinians and injured close to 500 . As of late July 2026, a total of 86 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces or settlers across the West Bank in 2026, including at least 21 shot by settlers . Human Rights Watch and UN officials warned of "unprecedented levels" of settler violence in 2026 . Additionally, Palestinian prisoner affairs groups reported that more than 3,600 Palestinians had been arrested in the West Bank since the start of 2026 . Following the incident, Israel announced a ban on Palestinian workers entering Israeli communities in the West Bank, citing security concerns .