West Bank clashes turn deadly

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode.

We begin by reviewing Friday morning's gunfight in the northern West Bank village of Tell. A far-right hiking group of Israelis allegedly raided the town and a gunfight broke out between the Palestinian residents and Israeli hikers. Benayahu Mellet, a 32-year-old member of the neighboring Havat Gilad settlement’s civil security squad, was fatally shot by a Palestinian, along with Maj. Yuval Ezra, an IDF officer who had been dispatched to the scene. Four Palestinians were killed during the clash.

Jeremy Sharon walks us through the parties involved in the fight and gives an overview of the different narratives surrounding why the group of settlers was in the area. How was the conflict initiated?

From there we move on to discuss broader patterns in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. These include the rapid expansion of settlements in the area, and markedly higher rates of tensions and violence between Israeli and Palestinian residents.

Following the break, we hone in on how Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has taken steps to entrench the powerful Settlements Administration agency he established in 2023. Sharon explains how these changes will help to continue expanding the settlement enterprise, and how they will make it more difficult for a new government to undo those gains. We hear about a variety of other ways the current administration has financed and supported the expansion of the settler movement.

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

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