IDF Probe Finds Uncoordinated Hike Preceded Deadly Samaria Clash

An initial IDF probe found that dozens of Israelis, including children, entered Areas A and B near the Samaria village of Tell for a hike that had not been coordinated with the military. A violent confrontation began after Palestinians approached the group, and Havat Gilad civil-defense personnel and IDF commanders came to disperse it. The probe says a Palestinian seized an Israeli rifle and opened fire, killing civil-defense squad member Benayahu Mellet, 32, and wounding two other Israelis. Israeli forces killed the gunman; four Palestinians died in the broader clash, and the circumstances of the other deaths remain under investigation.