Netanyahu says Iran behind recent violence in West Bank
Recent attacks are being promoted, directed and financed by Iran and affiliated groups, says Israeli premier
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unequivocally pointed to Iran on Monday as the source behind a recent escalation of armed assaults targeting Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Joined by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu visited the location in the southern West Bank city of Hebron where a shooting incident unfolded, resulting in the death of a settler and severe injuries to another.
"Recent attacks are being promoted, directed, and financed by Iran and its affiliated groups," Netanyahu declared, addressing the incident site while Israeli forces continued their investigative efforts.
He added, "We are committed to relentless efforts to apprehend the individuals responsible."
In response to the recent incidents in which three settlers were killed, the Israeli army has dispatched reinforcements and conducted raids within the occupied West Bank.
On August 19, two settlers were fatally attacked in Huwara, a town near the West Bank city of Nablus.
Earlier on Monday, an armed attack in Hebron led to the death of a settler, while another settler sustained critical injuries.
As the Israeli army conducted operations to capture the culprits of the Huwara attack, eight Palestinians were wounded by live bullets on Monday during the raids carried out in Palestinian cities and towns.
Stringent measures, including the closure of entrances and exits to the city and the establishment of military checkpoints, have effectively brought Hebron to a standstill under the watch of Israeli forces.
