Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement comes days ahead of Israeli elections in which security has been a central focus. (EPA Images pic)HEBRON: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a major military operation in the occupied West Bank on Friday after Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers in an attack near Hebron, days ahead of Israeli elections in which security has been a central focus.
Netanyahu is locked in a tight race to keep his job in Tuesday's vote, having campaigned on promises to keep Israelis safe, and he and his right-wing allies visited the scene of the attack to pledge an even harder line on West Bank militancy.
The first steps would see Hebron residents displaced, homes searched and "terrorist infrastructure" destroyed, the premier said, threatening operations on a scale unseen since Israel captured the Palestinian territory in 1967.
