Israeli forces launch raids in West Bank after shooting

JERUSALEM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces launched raids on Friday in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron and surrounding villages following a shooting attack that wounded five Israelis, the military said.

In a statement, the military said troops and border police officers launched the "offensive activity," conducting raids on the homes of "suspects" in the area.

A military closure has been imposed on Hebron, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier ordered the military to prepare for a full closure of the occupied West Bank.

The operations followed a shooting near the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba earlier Friday, in which two Palestinians from Hebron opened fire at Israelis before being shot dead by Israeli troops, according to Israeli authorities.

The military also reported that Israeli forces had arrested about 70 Palestinians across the West Bank over the past week, including individuals suspected of links to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as others accused of incitement.

It said troops had also seized dozens of weapons, including rifles, submachine guns and four explosive devices.