Gantz says Israel will step up West Bank operations

The army has set up checkpoints in the West Bank near the settlement of Ariel amid a search for additional suspects who may have been involved in a suspected mass casualty attack thwarted in Tel Aviv, Army Radio reports.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz says Israel will step up anti-terror raids in the West Bank and elsewhere, without specifically tying the effort Thursday’s alleged thwarted attack.

“We will deploy more forces and more measures, bolster cooperation among defense agencies, speed up building the [West Bank] seam-line barrier,” he says at a ceremony for outstanding officers.

“Just in the past week we prevented a number of attempts to harm Israelis” emanating from the West Bank, he adds.

“Where ever terror is not being dealt with, we will deal with it,” says the former general.