NABLUS, July 24 -- four Palestinians shot dead, four others wounded, three critically. When Israeli soldiers arrived at the village, they did not separate the two sides. Palestinian witnesses and local officials reported that the soldiers fired alongside the settlers, turning what had begun as an armed incursion into a combined military and civilian operation against the village.

The first assault, involving roughly 25 to 30 settlers, targeted homes in the eastern part of Tal. When residents attempted to confront them, the settlers opened fire. In the second wave, settlers moved into the village's western section and struck a child with a weapon. By the time the Israeli military announced its presence, the death toll was already rising. ...