The risk of a bloody rampage by dozens of Jewish settlers on Thursday night is palpable, straining efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, with Palestinians questioning whether those responsible will be punished.

Dozens of extremist Israeli settlers, many of them masked, attacked the Palestinian village of Jit in the West Bank on Thursday night, setting fire to houses and vehicles. One Palestinian was killed in the attack.

Settlers threw rocks and Molotov cocktails, setting fire to at least four houses and six vehicles in the village, which is just west of Nablus. More than 100 attackers were involved, according to an Israeli security official.

The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry announced that a 23-year-old Palestinian named Rashid Senda (photo) was killed and another Palestinian civilian was seriously injured by “settler bullets.”

Israeli security sources said it was not “clear who shot the Palestinians”, but the attack was condemned by Israel’s president.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that within minutes of the “serious incident” being reported, troops and border police officers were dispatched to the scene. The IDF reported using riot gear and live fire in the air while driving the Israelis out of the village.

The Israeli military also said it was looking into the Palestinian’s death and had launched a joint investigation with police and the Shin Bet security service.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it was taking the incident “seriously,” saying: “Those fighting terrorism are only the IDF and security forces. No one else.”

Netanyahu added: “Those responsible for any crime will be arrested and prosecuted.”

The EU Council decided in April to sanction extremist settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (four individuals and two entities) for serious human rights violations against Palestinians. It also condemned the Israeli government’s decisions to further expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and urged Israel to reverse those decisions.