TEL AVIV, October 23. /TASS/. Israel is preparing to launch a large-scale military operation in the West Bank, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced. He described it as the largest operation of its kind since the 1967 Six-Day War, during which Israel took control of the West Bank, then under Jordanian rule.
"Defense Minister Israel Katz and I oversaw the planning of a very large-scale IDF operation in Judea and Samaria [Israel’s designation for the West Bank - TASS]. Nothing on this scale has been seen since the Six-Day War. The IDF is ready to carry it out. We will decide on the timing, but it will take place soon," Netanyahu said, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
He made this statement after an attack by armed Palestinian radicals near the city of Hebron earlier on Friday, as a result of which five Israelis were wounded. The shooters were eliminated on the spot. After the incident, the Israeli military surrounded Hebron and began combing the area in search of possible accomplices. Netanyahu then announced his intention to isolate the West Bank.
Now the prime minister has unveiled plans to tighten military policy towards the West Bank. According to him, whereas before the army confined itself to destroying buildings in refugee camps, now this practice will be extended to Palestinian cities, starting with Hebron.
"We will take measures that have not been taken before: we intend to apply the successful offensive model that we used in refugee camps, which are, in fact, strongholds of terror, to this area in Hebron, where the terrorists came from. We will evacuate residents, search house by house, seize weapons and destroy all terrorist infrastructure. At the same time, we will impose a blockade of the cities of Hebron and Halhul. We will consider extending this model to other cities," he pointed out.