Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank after an armed attack in Hebron that wounded five people. The two attackers were shot dead.
Netanyahu made the announcement during a visit to Hebron, in the southern West Bank. He said the Israeli army would take action in the neighborhood where he said the two attackers came from.
“We will evacuate the residents and go from house to house“, Netanyahu said.The operation has already begun
In a video message, the Israeli prime minister said he and his defense minister were discussing an operation “on a very large scale“. Netanyahu compared it to actions that had not been seen “since the Six-Day War“ in 1967.
It was not clear from his words when the full-scale phase of the operation would begin, nor how many residents would be affected by the announced evacuation. It has been confirmed that Israeli forces are already operating in the area following the attack, and additional large-scale operations are being prepared.
Hebron attack
The attack left five people injured. The two suspected attackers were killed in a subsequent shootout with Israeli forces. Details of their identities and the condition of the injured were not given.
The announced operation marks a sharp expansion of Israeli security measures in the area. Netanyahu presented the actions as a response to the armed attack and instructed the army to prepare an operation that would exceed the usual actions in the West Bank in scale.
It has not yet been announced whether the evacuation of Palestinian residents has begun, where they will be housed, and how long the restrictions in Hebron will last. The Israeli prime minister said only that the decision on the timing of the main operation is pending, while the army is already conducting operations on the ground.
Sources: bta.bg