Netanyahu accuses Iran of orchestrating attacks in occupied West Bank

By Mucahit Aydemir

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu squarely pointed the finger at Iran on Monday for a recent surge in armed assaults targeting Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Accompanied by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu visited the area where a shooting occurred in the southern West Bank city of Hebron which claimed the life of a settler and left another severely wounded.

“We are facing attacks that are being promoted, directed and financed by Iran and its extensions," said Netanyahu, speaking at the site of the incident as Israeli forces continued their investigations.

"We are tirelessly working to apprehend the perpetrators," he added.

The Israeli army has sent reinforcements and carried out raids in the occupied West Bank after recent incidents in which three settlers were killed.

On Aug. 19, two settlers were killed in an attack on the town of Huwara, which is located near the West Bank city of Nablus.

Early on Monday, a settler lost his life while another sustained serious injuries in an armed attack in Hebron.

The Israeli army wounded eight Palestinians with live bullets on Monday as they raided Palestinian cities and towns to catch the perpetrators of the Huwara attack.

Hebron has found itself at a standstill as Israeli forces implemented stringent measures such as the closure of all entrances and exits to the city alongside the establishment of military checkpoints.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara