Full Breakdown
Shooting Near Gilad Farm Triggers Israeli Military Response
7/24/2026, 11:50:52 AM
Core Event
On Friday morning a group of Israeli hikers near Gilad Farm, a settlement southwest of Nablus in the northern West Bank, was attacked by Palestinians who seized a weapon from the settlement’s emergency-response squad chief and opened fire. The assault left at least one Israeli dead, two seriously wounded and at least two lightly wounded. Magen David Adom paramedics treated the victims on site and evacuated the critically injured to a military helicopter for transport to a hospital.
Background & Context
The incident follows two stabbing attacks the previous day, marking the third terror attack in the West Bank within a 24-hour period. Israeli officials have described the string of assaults as part of an escalating wave of terrorism targeting settlers and have linked the attacks to broader incitement by the Palestinian Authority.
Official Statements & Responses
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a strong reaction, saying Israel will not allow terrorism in Judea and Samaria to “raise its head.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the demolition of the perpetrators’ homes with air power and bulldozers, likening the response to actions taken in Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed condolences and demanded “an iron fist” against the village of the murderers. IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Eyal Zamir convened a situational assessment with senior commanders and ordered reinforcements to secure the area and deter copycat attacks.
Data & Statistics
- Israeli casualties: 1 dead, 2 seriously wounded, >=2 lightly wounded.
- Two of the wounded were evacuated to Sourasky Medical Center’s Ichilov Hospital; one remains in critical condition, the other with serious injuries.
- The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that IDF forces killed four Palestinians at the scene and wounded four others, three of whom are in critical condition.
- The IDF had not issued a comment at the time of reporting.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We will act strongly against terrorists and their proxies, and we will not allow terrorism in Judea and Samaria to raise its head,” — Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister
- “Sending heartfelt condolences to the family of the murdered, and praying for the recovery of the wounded. The entire people of Israel stand with the IDF and the security forces in their war against the murderers and their senders. The terror must be eradicated with an iron fist,” — Naftali Bennett, former Prime Minister
- “Judea and Samaria is not a secondary arena. It is a central front of the State of Israel, and the policy here must change accordingly, by launching a broad operation against the centers of terror, exacting a heavy price from anyone involved in terrorism or incitement, and stopping treating these attacks as routine,” — Israel Ganz, Mateh Binyamin Regional Council Head
