Four Palestinians and two Israelis killed in West Bank shooting

At least four Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank - the deadliest single incident there in months. There are conflicting accounts of the sequence of events in the northern village of Tal. Palestinians told the BBC that residents confronted Jewish settlers who were attacking them. An eyewitness said soldiers then arrived and started shooting. Israel's military said it had responded to reports that hikers had been attacked. It said "terrorists stole the weapon" of a security guard and killed him, before being killed by soldiers. The other three killed were members of the same Palestinian family. A second Israeli, a soldier, was also killed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later said that it was preparing for "extensive counterterrorism operational activity in the sector". There has been a surge in attacks by settlers on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, which was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Ahmed Zeidan, an eyewitness, told the BBC the latest incident began early in the morning, when locals in Tal rushed to confront about 30 settlers who were attacking