Middle East|6 Killed in West Bank Shooting, Officials Say, Among the Deadliest in Months

At least four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in a confrontation in the West Bank on Friday morning, according to Palestinian health officials and the Israeli military, in one of the deadliest incidents in the territory in the past year.

The health ministry of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said four people were killed and four others were wounded, including three in critical condition. The Israeli military said two Israelis were killed and Magen David Adom, an Israeli ambulance service, said a third person was wounded.

The exact details of the shooting remain unclear, with Israeli officials saying Israeli hikers were attacked, while Palestinian officials say settlers attacked a village.

The Israeli military said that soldiers were sent to the Palestinian village of Tell, close to the city of Nablus, after receiving a report about an attack on Israeli hikers in the area.

The military said that a group had opened fire and injured several Israelis after stealing the weapon of a security officer. The military referred to the group as “terrorists,” a term it often uses to refer to any Palestinian it deems a security threat.

Later on Friday, the military said it had killed the person who attacked the Israelis.

Walid Zeidan, the mayor of Tell, gave a differing account based, he said, on conversations with Palestinian eyewitnesses.