Israel to step up crackdown against Palestinian ‘attackers’: Netanyahu

Netanyahu made the pledge on Sunday, two days after a Palestinian man allegedly carried out a car-ramming in the occupied territories that killed at least two settlers.

"The cabinet is meeting today to prepare for an even broader action against those carrying out terrorism and their supporters” in East al-Quds and the West Bank, “while preventing as much as possible harming those uninvolved," he said, without providing further details.

Netanyahu’s remarks comes as far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has already ordered the regime’s police force to prepare for a major offensive in al-Quds.

Ben-Gvir told reporters on Friday that he has instructed the police forces to be prepared for "Defensive Shield 2" operation in the holy city starting from Sunday.

He referred to a major Israeli offensive called 'Defensive Shield' order by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that led to dozens of deaths among Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Ben-Gvir’s statements regarding the new large-scale offensive were widely criticized by Israeli authorities, who said such decisions should be taken after consulting with all security authorities.

Two Israeli settlers were pronounced dead and five others were injured when a Palestinian man allegedly carried out a car-ramming at a bus stop in the Ramot Alon settlement north of al-Quds on Friday.

Palestinian media outlets identified the Palestinian as Hussain Karaka, a 31-year-old resident of Bethlehem’s Dheisha refugee camp, who was fatally shot by Israeli forces on Friday afternoon.

Also on January 27, seven illegal settlers were killed and 10 others wounded in a shooting operation in occupied al-Quds which came a day after Israeli forces raided the city of Jenin and its neighboring refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank, killing nine Palestinians in one of the deadliest raids in years.

In a separate shooting on January 28, two Israeli settlers were injured in occupied al-Quds.

The latest incidents came amid increased Israeli violence against Palestinians in the occupied territories, especially in the West Bank.

Israeli forces have ramped up attacks against Palestinian towns in recent months in a bid to stifle growing Palestinian resistance in occupied cities. Dozens of Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been arrested. In January 2023 alone, at least 38 Palestinians, including five children, were killed.