Israeli forces killed 6 Palestinians on Tuesday, including a suspect believed to have shot at two brothers from a nearby Jewish settlement last week, and over 16 others were injured during a special operation carried out in a refugee camp in the West Bank. One Israeli police officer was also injured. Footage circulated on social media showed helicopters flying over a convoy of military vehicles entering the city, a key center for armed Palestinian factions in the West Bank.
In this context, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud warned that the risk of escalating situations is significant, not only in the Palestinian territories or Israel but in the region as a whole. Egypt, in a statement from its Foreign Ministry, urged "all effective international parties, primarily the United States, European Union countries, and UN Security Council members, to fulfill their responsibilities to put an end to the ongoing unilateral escalation measures and to create conditions that enable ceasefire and peaceful settlement efforts to bear fruit, away from the current devastating cycle of violence."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated calls for both sides to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank. Hawara, a Palestinian village near a major intersection, has become the latest hotspot of tension amid escalating violence in the West Bank over the past months.
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians on Monday evening in the village of Hawara, which was the scene of a violent attack by dozens of settlers last week in response to the killing of two Israeli brothers by gunfire. Israeli military and border police dispersed a crowd that the army described as "a number of rioters engaging in violent acts" in Hawara. Video clips circulating on social media showed a group of young men in black clothing attacking a Palestinian’s vehicle before the driver managed to escape. Other footage showed Israeli soldiers dancing with Jewish settlers in the town celebrating what is known as the Jewish holiday of Purim, while a voice can be heard in Hebrew saying, "Hawara has been invaded, gentlemen!"
The Israeli army did not comment on a question regarding the footage of soldiers dancing with settlers in response to a request for information about the incident. It did not immediately respond to a Reuters inquiry about any arrests made.
