Following an Israeli settler rampage in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian man was shot dead and several others were injured.
As hundreds of armed settlers set fire to homes and automobiles in Turmusaya, locals told the BBC they feared for their lives.
One claimed that the Israeli army left them defenseless for 45 minutes throughout the assault.
They provided the settlers with the opportunity to do this, he said.
After the funeral in a nearby settlement of a 17-year-old who was one of four Israeli settlers killed by Palestinian gunmen at a gas station on Tuesday, it appeared to be a retaliatory attack.
Although it denounced the attacks by settlers, the Israeli military remained silent when questioned about how quickly or forcefully it had reacted.
Following a Monday Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin that resulted in the deaths of seven Palestinians, concerns are growing over an even deadlier outbreak of violence.
Israeli forces used an Apache attack helicopter to fire missiles at militants who had targeted troop carriers with explosives, resulting in seven Israeli soldiers being wounded. It was some of the fiercest fighting in the region in years.
Two 15-year-olds and two Islamic Jihad militants were among the Palestinians who died.
Gunmen from the militant organization Hamas allegedly used that as the catalyst for their deadly attack at a gas station the next day.
Another MP called for "collective punishment" against common Palestinians, while hard-line pro-settler ministers in Israel's religious-nationalist coalition called for a full-scale military operation in the West Bank, including airstrikes to destroy Palestinian buildings.
Video from Turmusaya showed cars on fire and thick clouds of black smoke circling the town as tear gas or stun grenade blasts could be heard in the distance.
Lafi Adeeb, the mayor, told the BBC that 400 settlers ransacked the town and set five residents on fire as they torched homes and automobiles.
Some locals who had attempted to defend the town during the attacks are said to have engaged in conflict with Israeli forces.
Omar Qateen, 27, was shot and killed by Israeli forces "while confronting the settlers," according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Israel's paramilitary border police claimed that when residents "rioted," troops fired at a man who shot at firefighters as they were being protected by its troops. The circumstances of his death cannot be confirmed by the BBC.
The American connections of Turmusaya are well known, and many of the Palestinian residents there hold dual US citizenship.
Sam Abdullah, a local, told the BBC that while his daughter, a visitor from the US, was inside the family home, settlers tried to set the building on fire while aiming a gun at her.
"They burned the houses and tried to lock people inside each one while pointing inside. People had no opportunity to leave, according to them. My daughter's survival was a stroke of luck, he said.
According to Mr. Abdullah, the burning of her rental car destroyed all of her possessions, including her US passport.
"The [Israeli] army arrived after 45 minutes. When they started burning [the houses], the army failed to assist us; they could have arrived in five or ten minutes. They gave the settlers the opportunity to carry out this action, claimed Mr. Abdullah.
Another local claimed that when her children called and began to scream, she was in the nearby city of Ramallah, visiting the doctor.
"My kids were hiding in the basement, telling me that the settlers are coming and breaking our windows. While they were inside the house, the settlers threw Molotov cocktails to set it on fire. While the majority of the settlers were wandering around the house, they snuck out from the balcony, she said.
She continued, "Thank God the youth rushed to assist... Thank God my children are safe.".
Security forces entered the town to put out fires, stop fights, and gather evidence, the Israeli military said in a statement condemning the violence. Israeli citizens left the town, and Israel Police has begun an investigation into what happened. ".
A night of settler violence elsewhere in the West Bank was followed by the attacks in Turmusaya.
A large group of settlers allegedly set fire to a gas station, orchards, a cement factory, and dozens of cars while Israeli soldiers and police reportedly stood by.
Although Israel disputes this, international law considers settlements to be illegal.
Particularly after a deadly rampage through the Palestinian town of Hawara earlier this year, attacks by settlers in the West Bank have sparked growing international concern. (Inline link to that article from the time).
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, reportedly made a reference to the violence on Wednesday by saying, "We will not accept any challenge against the police and the security forces in these places or anywhere.". We live in a just society.
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