JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians in the village of Kafr Malik in the occupied West Bank, turned on Israeli soldiers Saturday in an escalation of violence, according to media reports.

Israeli state broadcaster KAN said the six settlers were detained after attacking the soldiers near Ramallah. The group had previously seized Palestinian land and had been involved in earlier assaults.

The Israeli army reported that the settlers hurled stones at the soldiers, slightly injuring one. The settlers reportedly beat the soldiers, slashed the tires of military vehicles and attempted to run them over.

They rammed military vehicles with their cars, threw Molotov cocktails and set fire to an army vehicle in another area.

Israeli media noted that the soldiers responded by firing warning shots into the air using live ammunition, a move that has sparked controversy.

The use of live fire by soldiers against Israeli citizens, especially settlers, has become a heated topic. The same soldiers had used live rounds Wednesday during confrontations in which three Palestinians were killed.

The incident drew condemnation from across the Israeli political spectrum. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and opposition leader Yair Lapid all denounced the settlers' attacks.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich took a different stance. He claimed the army had “crossed a red line” by firing live ammunition at Israelis and argued that settlers who seize Palestinian land and Israeli soldiers “are on the same side.”

On June 25, the same settlers launched an attack in Kafr Malik. Israeli soldiers dispatched to the scene opened fire, killing three Palestinians and injuring seven.

Around 70 masked Jewish settlers staged another raid in the village late Friday.