• Israeli military preparing to launch a widespread operation in the occupied West Bank

NABLUS: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Friday to respond firmly after an Israeli was killed in violence in the occupied West Bank that also killed four Palestinians.

The Palestinian health ministry said “four people were killed and four others wounded, including three in critical condition, in Tel.”

Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services reported that a man in his thirties was pronounced dead near the settlement of Havat Gilad. Two other victims, in their twenties, were evacuated by helicopter with gunshot wounds, one of whom was in a serious condition.

The Israeli military said on Friday it was preparing to launch a widespread operation in the occupied West Bank following violence that killed an Israeli and four Palestinians.

“Following the terror attack earlier today in the area of Tel, IDF soldiers are preparing for extensive counterterrorism operational activity in the sector,” the military said. It added that it had postponed soldiers’ leave across the territory and had begun deploying forces in the area.

The Israeli military earlier said it had deployed soldiers after reports of an attack against Israeli civilians who were hiking near Havat Gilad.

According to the military, the attackers seized the weapon of a member of the security forces who had arrived at the scene and opened fire on the hikers.

An AFP journalist said roadblocks had been set up around the scene, while the military said it was still searching for the attackers.

Netanyahu promised in a statement to “act with full force against the terrorists and those who orchestrate and sponsor them.”

He said he would convene a meeting of security officials.

Violence in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, has surged since the start of the war in Gaza.

Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank alongside around three million Palestinians.

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.

Official Israeli figures show at least 47 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations since the start of the Gaza war.

According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,094 Palestinians, including both militants and civilians, over the same period.

AFP