Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of the launch of a large-scale military operation in the West Bank, following a shooting attack near the city of Hebron.
During the attack, five Israelis were injured, while two Palestinians, suspected perpetrators, were killed by Israeli forces.
Following the event, Netanyahu ordered the siege of Hebron and preparations for imposing a complete blockade on the West Bank.
The Israeli prime minister declared that the army is ready to undertake an operation of unprecedented proportions since 1967, when Israel took control of the territory during the Six-Day War.
According to him, the operation will include the evacuation of residents from the area where the suspected perpetrators of the attack lived, house-to-house searches and the destruction of infrastructure that Israeli authorities consider linked to terrorism.
Netanyahu stressed that the plan was prepared in cooperation with Defense Minister Israel Katz, while the timing of the operation's launch will be determined by military authorities.
The warning comes at a time of high tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, just days before parliamentary elections in Israel, scheduled for October 27.
