HEBRON, Nov 2 — The Israeli army has pulled back following an operation in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, launched in the wake of an attack that killed two soldiers in late October, a military official said Monday.
The operation had emptied a neighbourhood in the West Bank’s largest city where the two gunmen had lived. AFP journalists witnessed residents returning to their homes on Monday after the military left.
“This morning, following the completion of all operational activities, the soldiers withdrew from the area of operation in Hebron. Counterterrorism activities throughout Judea and Samaria continue,” the official said, using the biblical name for the Palestinian territory.
On October 23, days ahead of close-fought Israeli elections, two Palestinian gunmen attacked an army checkpoint near Hebron, killing two soldiers and prompting promises of a major retaliatory operation from senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
