US condemns fatal terrorist attack on Israelis in West Bank 

U.S. officials condemned the fatal terrorist attack on Israelis in the West Bank that left four dead and several others injured Tuesday as violence continues to grip the occupied territory.

“The United States condemns the terrorist attack against Israelis near Eli in the West Bank today,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. “We express our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wish the injured a speedy recovery.”

“We are also concerned about the continuation of violence in Israel and the West Bank in recent weeks that has killed and injured Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” he continued. “We will continue to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote steps towards de-escalation.”

Two Palestinian gunman opened fire at a restaurant and gas station near Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday, following tumultuous days of violence. Four Israelis were killed and several other people were wounded before the attackers were shot dead.

The day following the attack, hundreds of Israeli settlers torched the homes and cars of Palestinians to avenge the fatal shooting.

In response to the shooting, the Israeli military vowed to send more forces to the West Bank and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to take terrorism on “with full force.”

“I would like to remind all those who seek to harm us: All options are open. We will continue to fight terrorism with full force and we will defeat it,” he said in a video statement.

Netanyahu also announced plans to build 1,000 new settler homes in Eli in the West Bank, a move that will likely continue to escalate tensions between Palestine and Israel. The U.S. said earlier this week that it was “deeply troubled” after the Israeli government said it would move toward the building of thousands of settlements in the West Bank.

The U.S. has warned against Israel’s expansion of West Bank settlements, maintaining that such a move would undermine efforts to achieve a two-state solution with Palestine.

The Associated Press contributed.