Israeli settlers entered Huwara and began attacking Palestinians in the town again on Monday afternoon, less than a day after crowds of settlers torched homes and cars throughout the town in response to a shooting attack in which two Israeli brothers, Hillel Menachem Yaniv and Yagel Ya’acov Yaniv, were murdered.
The IDF condemned the violence in the West Bank on Monday night, noting that a number of Israeli citizens had thrown stones at IDF soldiers and tried to run over an IDF officer in the Samaria region on Monday evening.
"The IDF condemns any manifestation of violence, certainly against soldiers and the security forces. The IDF backs up the brigade commander and his soldiers who work day and night for the safety of the citizens of Israel and the residents of Judea and Samaria," said the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
"The IDF will continue to work to maintain security, law and order in Judea and Samaria and works in cooperation, together with the enforcement agencies, in order to bring justice to those who break the law."
Video from the scenes showed IDF soldiers firing tear gas to separate settlers and the Palestinians.
Four brigades, including Sayeret Givati and the IDF Search and Rescue Brigade, were transferred to reinforce Israeli security forces in the West Bank on Monday, as tensions continued to rise and the manhunt for the terrorist behind the Huwara attack continued.
Overnight, settlers burned dozens of buildings and vehicles in Huwara and in additional locations around the West Bank.
Six of the dozens of settlers who participated in the riots were reportedly arrested overnight, but have almost all since been released.
According to Palestinian reports, shopkeepers in Huwara were ordered by the IDF not to reopen their shops for the next few days as part of attempts to calm the situation in the area.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant visited Huwara on Monday afternoon, stressing that the defense establishment is expecting "complex, even difficult days," in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
Galant called for calm, stating "There is no legitimacy to act from the gut. We must not under any circumstances allow a situation where people take the law into their own hands. I ask everyone to obey the instructions of the law and above all to trust the IDF and the security forces, we are doing our job."
During the violence overnight, the commander of the IDF Benyamin Brigade was attacked by Jewish youth near Rimonim junction. The courts decided to release the assailants on Monday.
Extremist retaliation for Huwara violence
On Monday afternoon, incendiary balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip towards southern Israel, according to Palestinian reports. The balloon units announced that they would be continuing launches and riots along the border fence on Monday evening.
The balloon launches come after Palestinians in the Gaza Strip rioted along the border with Israel on Sunday evening in response to the violence in Huwara, burning tires near the border fence.
Three Palestinians were injured after being shot by Israeli forces during the riots along the Gaza border on Sunday night, according to Palestinian reports.
The Qatari envoy to the Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Emadi, is set to arrive in Gaza on Tuesday evening, according to Palestinian reports.
Arab youth in east Jerusalem called for Arabs to gather at the Damascus Gate on Monday evening.
On Monday morning, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh ordered the formation of a ministerial committee to work to compensate those who suffered damages during the riots in Huwara and nearby areas.
"Yesterday, we lived through a horrific night in which settlers practiced the most heinous types of crime, including killing, burning, and terrorizing children and women. This crime will be added to the file of Israel's trial in international courts," said Shtayyeh.
The United Arab Emirates called for a closed emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to be held on Tuesday in light of the violence in the West Bank.
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland stated that he is "gravely concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank, particularly the violence witnessed in the past 24 hrs in Huwara."
Wennesland expressed his condolences to the Yaniv family and the family of the Palestinian killed during the ensuing riots in Huwara.
"There can be no justification for terrorism, nor for arson and acts of revenge against civilians. All perpetrators of violence must be held accountable. Violence, provocations and incitement must stop immediately and be unequivocally condemned by all," added Wennesland, calling on both sides to make efforts to address the core issues driving the conflict.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.