JERUSALEM, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he had approved "offensive and defensive" measures in the Israeli-occupied West Bank following a deadly shooting attack.

In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu did not specify the details of the measures but said they included operations to apprehend the perpetrators and "a series of additional offensive and defensive actions."

He noted that the decision followed "a situation assessment" with senior security officials.

The attack, which took place near al-Funduq, a Palestinian village in the northeastern West Bank, involved gunmen opening fire from a vehicle on an Israeli bus and a private vehicle. Three Israelis -- two women in their 70s and a policeman -- were killed, and seven others were injured, according to Magen David Adom rescue service.

The suspects fled the scene, prompting an ongoing manhunt, the Israeli military said in a statement.

Israeli military troops and Shin Bet agents have been deployed in the area, preparing for potential revenge attacks by settlers and working to prevent settlers from reaching sensitive locations, Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper reported.

In recent months, attacks by settler activists on Palestinian villages have increased, including incidents of arson and, in some cases, killings.

The shooting occurred amid escalating tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories, which Israel seized in the 1967 war, and as negotiators were meeting in Doha, Qatar, for renewed efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)