An Israeli settler called for the killing of entire Palestinian villages during an interview with the BBC, in remarks that have drawn widespread attention amid escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.

The interview was conducted with Yehuda Shimon, a lawyer who represents Israelis accused of violence against Palestinians, during the BBC's rare visit to the Israeli settler outpost of Havat Gilad, located near several Palestinian villages.

During the interview, BBC correspondent Lucy Williamson asked Shimon about attacks carried out by Israeli settlers after an Israeli security guard from the outpost was killed during clashes near the Palestinian village of Tal last week. Rather than calling for those responsible to be prosecuted, Shimon responded with an even more extreme position, saying: "After they killed one Israeli, we need to kill all the people in Tal and Sarra, even Jit and Farata."

Williamson challenged the remarks, telling Shimon that he was equating the life of one Israeli with the lives of hundreds, or even thousands, of Palestinians living in those villages.

The interview followed a deadly confrontation near the village of Tal that left the Israeli security guard dead, along with four Palestinians and one Israeli soldier. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain disputed.

The BBC noted that its access to Havat Gilad was unusual for an international news organization. The interview comes as settler attacks on Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank continue to draw growing international concern and renewed calls for greater protection of civilians.