The commander of the Israeli occupation army’s Central Command, Avi Bluth, announced that occupation forces are preparing to launch a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank following the killing of an Israeli officer and soldier during an attack by groups of settlers on Palestinians near the village of Tell on Friday morning.
Bluth made the announcement during a meeting held on Friday morning with the heads of settlement councils, where they discussed recent security developments and the army’s plans for addressing the escalation within the Central Command area.
Troops Redeployed from Gaza and Lebanon
Israeli media quoted the occupation army as saying that the West Bank currently contains 126 settlement outposts and agricultural settlements. The army is reportedly struggling to provide full security protection for them, prompting it approximately two weeks ago to withdraw forces from the fronts in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip and redeploy them to the West Bank.
Israel’s Channel 12 also reported that the occupation army had raised its state of alert in the West Bank, cancelled soldiers’ leave and reinforced forces deployed throughout the area in preparation for the expected operation.
Bluth said, “We are facing a difficult morning,” adding that he had visited the family of one of those killed in the Havat Gilad settlement and had also offered his condolences to another family that lost a relative in the recent events.
Occupation Army Warns of Wider Escalation
Bluth said the past several days had witnessed “a series of security incidents, including the burning of approximately 30 homes”, which he claimed may have resulted from negligence. He also referred to an arson incident in the town of Beit Furik, a stabbing operation and another attack that followed.
He added that Israeli forces had killed four alleged attackers during the incidents, including the person accused of carrying out the shooting. He said the weapon seized by the shooter was now in the possession of the occupation army.
Bluth said the army was continuing arrest operations against people “suspected of involvement in the attack”, warning that the escalation could spread across the occupied West Bank.
“Following the recent events, particularly what happened this morning, there is concern that escalation could spread throughout the West Bank,” he said. “We are carrying out offensive operations to prevent the situation from deteriorating, using all the means available to us.”
He added that he had held meetings with military brigade commanders and confirmed that forces were also preparing for the possibility of similar attacks in the coming period.
Settler Attack Preceded the Shooting
Earlier on Friday, settlers carried out a provocative march from the Havat Gilad settlement and attacked Palestinians while carrying weapons, under the protection of occupation forces.
During the clashes, Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinians, prompting one young man to seize a soldier’s weapon to defend himself.
Video footage showed that after his weapon was taken, the settler drew a pistol and attempted to shoot the Palestinian man. The Palestinian opened fire first, killing him.
