Four Palestinians and one Israeli were killed in a shooting incident in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to Israeli and Palestinian health officials.
The Israeli military said it had been dispatched to the area, southwest of the Palestinian city of Nablus, after reports of an attack on Israeli civilians who were hiking there. The military said a Palestinian had stolen a weapon from local security personnel and fired at the Israeli civilians.
Palestinian officials said Palestinians from the West Bank town of Tal had been attacked by the Israeli civilians and that four had been shot dead and four wounded by both Israeli civilians and Israeli soldiers.
A temporary closure was imposed on the city of Nablus and the Tal area, while Israeli troops set up roadblocks and pursued the assailants, the military said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu convened an emergency meeting and vowed to respond firmly.
"We will act with full force against the terrorists and those who orchestrate and sponsor them, and we will not allow terrorism in Judea and Samaria to regain a foothold," Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that he would meet with senior security officials to discuss a response to the "attack."
