The killing of four Palestinians in the town of Tell, southwest of Nablus, the deaths of two occupation soldiers during the ensuing confrontation, Abu Obeida’s call for an escalation of resistance, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s order for a wide-scale military operation have transformed what began as another settler assault into one of the most consequential days in the occupied West Bank in recent months.
The developments come amid an already volatile situation marked by expanding settlement activity, repeated Israeli military raids, and an unprecedented surge in attacks by armed zionist settlers.
But how did Friday’s events unfold, and why are they being viewed as a potential turning point in the occupied West Bank?
How Did the Violence Begin?
According to Palestinian accounts, supported by video evidence, the day’s events began when armed Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian town of Tell, southwest of Nablus.
Residents attempting to defend their homes and land confronted the settlers, whose assault unfolded under the protection of occupation forces.
Videos circulating online showed armed settlers attacking Palestinians before physical clashes erupted between the two sides.
As the confrontation intensified, occupation soldiers opened fire on Palestinians.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, four Palestinians—all reportedly from the same family—were killed, while four others were wounded, three of them critically. Zionist occupation forces subsequently imposed a military siege on Tell and the nearby city of Nablus.
What Happened During the Clashes?
The confrontation did not end with the deaths of the Palestinian victims.
According to zionist media, a Palestinian fighter managed to seize the weapon of an Israeli security officer during the chaos and opened fire on settlers.
Zionist authorities later announced that the Palestinian fighter had been killed and that the weapon had been recovered.
Zionist media reported, however, that the exchange left two occupation soldiers dead—an occupation army officer serving in the armored corps and another soldier from the Jerusalem Brigade—while three other colonizers were wounded.
Zionist military radio later reported that an internal investigation concluded the shooting had not been pre-planned, but rather occurred during the confrontation itself.
How Did Netanyahu Capitalize on the Violence?
Within hours, Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and senior security officials.
The outcome was immediate.
Netanyahu and Katz jointly announced that they had instructed the occupation army to launch what they described as a “wide-scale military operation” throughout the occupied West Bank.
The zionist government also ordered the demolition of the home of the Palestinian accused of carrying out the shooting.
But the response extended beyond military measures.
The zionist leadership also announced plans to move forward with legalizing unauthorized settlement outposts while establishing new ones across the occupied West Bank, linking Friday’s events directly to an expansion of the illegal settlement enterprise.
Occupation forces subsequently reinforced their deployment around Nablus, sending additional military companies into the area while tightening restrictions and carrying out raids.
Senior zionist ministers adopted an equally hardline tone.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the destruction of the homes of what he termed “terrorists” and their supporters, arguing that every Israeli death should be met with territorial losses for Palestinians.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further, calling for the establishment of a new settlement near the site of the shooting and suggesting that Palestinian villages including Tell, Iraq Burin, and Beit Furik should face the same fate as refugee camps subjected to repeated Israeli military operations.
Why Did Abu Obeida Issue a Public Appeal?
The developments prompted a rare public intervention by Abu Obeida, the military spokesperson of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades.
In a statement published on Telegram, he praised Palestinian fighters across what the West Bank, paying tribute to those who had confronted Israeli occupation forces and settlers “from Nablus to Jenin and Jerusalem.”
He warned that the zionist entities escalating attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, the demolition of Palestinian homes, land confiscations, and the continuing genocide in Gaza would only deepen Palestinian resistance.
Abu Obeida also called on Palestinians, tribal leaders, and members of the Palestinian security services to mobilize in defense of their land and holy sites, declaring that “our real battle with the occupation is in the occupied West Bank,” which he described as “the key to complete victory over this Nazi occupier.”
The statement reflects Hamas’ increasing emphasis on the occupied West Bank as a central arena of confrontation alongside Gaza.
How Did Palestinian Factions Respond?
Hamas mourned the four Palestinians killed in Tell, describing the incident as another “field execution” carried out by the zionist occupation.
The movement praised the Palestinian fighter who seized the weapon of a zionist attacker and turned it against the assailants, while urging Palestinians throughout the occupied West Bank to intensify resistance against occupation forces and settlers.
Fatah also condemned the killings, describing them as part of a pattern of massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army and settler militias against Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza.
The movement argued that the attacks reflect an escalating colonial policy aimed at displacement, land seizure, and territorial expansion, while criticizing the international community’s continued silence.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement called on Palestinians to unite and intensify efforts to confront settlers and zionist occupation forces across the occupied West Bank.
Why Does This Matter?
Friday’s events did not occur in isolation.
They came one day after more than 4,000 settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during commemorations of what Jewish groups refer to as the destruction of the Temple, accompanied by senior zionist ministers, including Itamar Ben-Gvir.
According to Palestinian reports, attacks by armed settlers have intensified throughout July, frequently taking place under the protection of occupation forces. These attacks have increasingly targeted Palestinian homes, agricultural land, mosques, and entire communities, while settlement expansion has accelerated in parallel.
Following the violence in Tell, settlers reportedly launched further attacks on Palestinian villages including Jit and Iraq Burin, while additional assaults were reported across the governorates of Nablus, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Qalqilya.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 86 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of the year, including 21 by settlers.
Below we publish several Resistance statements in full
Hezbollah Statement on the Criminal Massacre Committed by the Zionist Terrorist Entity Against the Residents of the Town of Tell, South of Nablus:
Hezbollah condemns the criminal massacre committed by the Zionist terrorist entity against the residents of the town of Tell, south of Nablus, who rose up and courageously confronted the usurping settler gangs in defense of their land and property.
This direct aggression against unarmed civilians, accompanied by point-blank field executions, once again exposes the deeply rooted criminal nature of this terrorist entity against the Palestinian people and all the peoples of our region. The enemy’s continued settlement policies, its attempts to legitimize settlement outposts, confiscate and seize Palestinian land, and demolish Palestinian homes constitute a blatant violation of international law and all international conventions and resolutions. The continued silence of the international community and its failure to put an end to these ongoing crimes only encourages the enemy to expand the scope of its terrorism, escalate its aggression, and continue shedding Palestinian blood.
As Hezbollah salutes the steadfast and defiant residents of the town of Tell, it commends this heroic resistance and the courageous young resistance fighter who, with exceptional bravery, succeeded in seizing the weapon of one of the attacking settlers, killing one of them and wounding others. Hezbollah affirms that the occupation and its criminal settlers will never be able to break the will of the Palestinian people, and that the enemy’s terrorism will only strengthen their steadfastness and determination to continue defending their rights, their land, and their holy sites.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful