Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that Israel is preparing a massive military operation in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, on a scale not seen since the 1967 Six-Day War, after Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli soldiers near Hebron, just four days before Israel’s national election.
Speaking after a security assessment, Netanyahu said the planned operation would be unprecedented in scope.
“The defense minister and I have overseen the planning of a very extensive IDF operation in Judea and Samaria — on a scale not seen since the Six-Day War,” he said.
“The IDF is ready to carry it out, and we will determine the timing, but it is coming.”
The announcement followed a deadly shooting at a temporary military checkpoint near Yehuda Junction outside Hebron, where two Palestinian terrorists opened fire on Israeli soldiers Friday morning.
The attack killed Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, of Ashkelon, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, of Hod Hasharon, both members of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) 775th Ari Battalion. Three additional soldiers were wounded.
Israeli forces killed both attackers following a firefight lasting more than 20 minutes.
The IDF’s preliminary investigation found that the terrorists apparently intended to attack Israeli civilians along a nearby highway but instead opened fire on soldiers after encountering the checkpoint.
The military said the attackers were carrying substantial quantities of ammunition, suggesting they had planned a larger assault.
