- July 24, 2026
- 12:39 pm
- Israel
32-year-old resident of Havat Gilad, Benyahu Malt, went to rescue a group of Israelis and was killed by shots from a weapon seized by the attacker from a local security service employee. After the third attack in Samaria in less than a day, the IDF sent five additional companies to the region, blocked the village of Tal, and exits from Nablus.
The morning of Friday, July 24, 2026, brought Israel another heavy news from Samaria. Near the Jewish settlement of Havat Gilad and the Palestinian village of Tal, clashes escalated into gunfire. As a result, 32-year-old Benyahu Malt was killed, and two more Israelis were seriously injured.
According to the IDF, one of the Palestinian attackers took a weapon from a Havat Gilad security service representative and opened fire on Israeli citizens. The shooter was eliminated almost immediately, and the weapon was recovered. Palestinian health authorities simultaneously reported the deaths of four Palestinians and injuries to four others. The full sequence of events and the circumstances of each participant’s death are still being established.
Benyahu Malt went to save people
The deceased Benyahu Malt lived in Havat Gilad, was part of the local rapid response team, and was responsible for agricultural work in the settlement.
He is survived by his wife Esther and two daughters aged 12 and 13.
When information about the attack on Israelis near the village of Tal was received, Malt went to the scene to help people in danger and organize their evacuation. During the rescue operation, he received a severe gunshot wound.
Arriving medics performed resuscitation measures, but could not save him. The head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, called Malt a devoted family man and a person dedicated to the land of Israel and the security of his settlement.
This was not the first time Benyahu Malt went where people were in danger. Just a few days before his death, he participated in rescue operations during a devastating fire in Havat Gilad.
How the attack unfolded according to the IDF
According to the preliminary Israeli version, a group of Israelis was in the area of the village of Tal, located near Havat Gilad and southwest of Nablus. The army referred to them as “travelers” or participants in a hike.
At the same time, the IDF specifically noted that the group’s exit towards Tal was not pre-coordinated with the military.
Near the village, a clash with local residents began. According to Israeli sources, dozens of people attacked the group. Representatives of the Havat Gilad security service arrived at the scene to provide assistance.
During the clash, one of the Palestinians managed to seize the weapon of a local security officer and opened fire on the Israelis. Benyahu Malt, who arrived to evacuate people, received a fatal wound. Two more Israelis were injured.
The IDF reported that soldiers eliminated the shooter immediately after the attack and recovered the stolen weapon. The military continued to pursue possible accomplices and search for other participants in the clash.
Two wounded were taken to “Ichilov”
Two injured Israelis were evacuated by military helicopters to the “Ichilov” hospital in Tel Aviv.
One of the wounded, about 20 years old, was in critical condition. The second man, approximately 25 years old, was hospitalized in serious condition.
Initial reports from rescue services mentioned a larger number of victims, but confirmed data indicate one dead and at least two Israelis with gunshot wounds.
NANews — Israel News continues to monitor the condition of the wounded. At the time of preparing the material, a detailed medical forecast was not published.
Four dead Palestinians: circumstances are being clarified
The Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority stated that during the events near Tal, four Palestinians were killed, and four more were injured. Three of the injured, according to the Palestinian side, were in critical condition.
Israeli Russian-language media report that the deceased were four men from the Ali Ramadan family.
At the same time, the IDF officially described the circumstances of the elimination of only one person — the attacker who seized the weapon and opened fire on the Israelis. How the other three died, whether they were armed, and whether they directly participated in the attack, was not specified in the initial army reports.
The Associated Press also noted that the circumstances of the shooting immediately after the incident remained unclear. The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that the four deceased were killed by Israeli forces.
The Palestinian side presents a different version of the start of the clashes
Representatives of the Palestinian side claim that the events did not start with an attack on travelers, but with the appearance of a group of Israelis near the houses of the village of Tal.
Local Fatah movement representative Issam Saifi told Reuters that approximately 25–30 Israelis allegedly entered the eastern part of the village and tried to break into two houses. According to him, local residents came out to meet them, after which the shooting began.
Saifi also claims that about half an hour later, the Israelis appeared in the western part of the village, and then the military arrived at the scene. These statements have not yet been confirmed by independent investigation results.
The Israeli side, on the contrary, claims that Palestinians attacked the Israelis in the area, and then one of the attackers seized the security officer’s weapon and used it for shooting.
Thus, the sides describe the start of the clash differently. However, the fact of weapon seizure and subsequent shooting at Israeli citizens is confirmed by the IDF. Final conclusions should be made after studying video recordings, testimonies of soldiers, local residents, and participants of the Israeli group.
The IDF sent five additional companies to Samaria
IDF Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir assessed the situation and ordered a significant increase in military presence in Judea and Samaria.
According to Israeli media, five additional companies of soldiers were sent to the region.
The army has been tasked with the following:
- strengthen the protection of Israeli settlements and roads;
- find all participants in the attack;
- prevent new terrorist attacks;
- continue operations in the areas of Beit Furik and Tubas;
- establish checkpoints on possible escape routes of the attackers.
The IDF temporarily blocked the village of Tal and exits from Nablus. The military began checking transport and search activities in the area of the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting to discuss possible response measures.
The third attack in Samaria in less than a day
The shooting near Havat Gilad was already the third attack in Samaria in about a day.
On July 23 near Elon Moreh, east of Nablus, two Palestinians attacked an Israeli who was extinguishing a field fire. The victim was seriously injured. The attackers were eliminated.
Later that same day, a stabbing attack occurred near the former settlement of Ganim, about five kilometers southeast of Jenin. One Israeli was lightly injured, and the attacker was eliminated.
After these events, the IDF began operations in Beit Furik and Tubas — localities from which, according to the army, participants in previous attacks arrived.
The sequence of three attacks in such a short time creates a difficult situation for Israeli security forces. It is not only about finding individual attackers but also about the risk of a chain reaction, where one terrorist attack becomes an example for the next.
Six days before the terrorist attack, Havat Gilad experienced a devastating fire
The tragedy of July 24 occurred less than a week after a large-scale fire destroyed a significant part of Havat Gilad.
The fire started on Saturday, July 18, 2026. According to updated data from settlement residents, the fire completely destroyed 22 residential houses, and another 13 houses and structures were seriously damaged. The settlement had to be evacuated.
Benyahu Malt participated in saving people and property during this fire.
Two days later, the Judea and Samaria district police concluded that there were sufficient grounds to consider the damage the result of hostile actions. Two suspects were detained. This decision allows the victims to apply for state compensation as victims of hostile action.
For the residents of Havat Gilad, these events combined into one difficult week: first, dozens of families lost their homes, and then the settlement lost a person who helped save others.
Questions that the investigation must answer
In addition to searching for possible accomplices of the shooter, Israeli security forces need to establish:
- why the group of Israelis headed to the village of Tal;
- who organized the outing and why it was not coordinated with the army;
- where the first clash began;
- how many people participated in the attack;
- how the weapon ended up in the shooter’s hands;
- who exactly opened fire at different stages of the clash;
- under what circumstances the other three Palestinians died;
- whether the military or local security service could have prevented the weapon seizure.
Answers are needed not only to restore the full picture of the incident. They should help determine whether there were mistakes in organizing security, information exchange, and responding to the appearance of a group not coordinated with the army in a potentially dangerous area.
Samaria enters a new period of tension
The events near Havat Gilad show how quickly a local clash can turn into a terrorist attack with human casualties.
One of the participants gained access to a security officer’s weapon, opened fire, and killed a person who came to save others. Simultaneously, the clash led to the deaths of four Palestinians, the circumstances of the deaths of three of whom are not yet publicly explained.
The main task of the IDF now remains to prevent new attacks. The reinforcement of Samaria with five companies, the blocking of Tal and Nablus, and the continuation of operations in Beit Furik and Tubas show that the army does not consider the incident an isolated episode but part of a dangerous series of attacks.
NANews — Israel News expresses condolences to the family of Benyahu Malt. He died when he went to help people in danger, leaving behind a wife and two minor daughters.
The investigation of the events near Havat Gilad continues. Data on the condition of the wounded, arrests of possible accomplices, and the exact sequence of the shooting may be supplemented after new official reports.