Middle East Monitor – Israeli occupation forces are to increase the number of troops in the occupied West Bank in preparation for a possible escalation, Israeli media reported an army official saying yesterday.
“The IDF [Israeli army] will increase its forces and expand its operational activities in the coming weeks in Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank] as part of its readiness for escalation,” Chief of Staff of Israeli Army Aviv Kochavi said during a visit to the occupied West Bank.
This came during a manhunt campaign being conducted in the West Bank to look for suspects who opened fire at Israeli settlers near Zaatara checkpoint near the city of Nablus.
Sources reported that occupation forces used live ammunition to deter protests and gatherings of Palestinians who attempted to stop the Israeli occupation army from attacking their neighbourhoods.
“Many forces, with the help of intelligence officials and the Shin Bet [Israel Security Service] have been working since yesterday [Sunday] to find the terrorists, and will continue to do so until the mission is completed,” Kochavi added.
“The IDF will continue to act as required in all sectors in order to ensure the security of Israeli citizens,” Kohavi said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“We will not allow terrorism to raise its head and we will strike our enemies with force,” he said.
