Netanyahu hints at major move against Palestinian Authority

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that a “very big surprise” awaits the Palestinian Authority, hours after ordering a major military operation in the occupied West Bank following a deadly attack on Israeli soldiers.

Campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s general election, Netanyahu sidestepped a question on whether he intended to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, saying he favoured “cunning and surprise.”

“We have transformed the Middle East. I said we would change things, and we did,” he said. “There is a very big surprise waiting for the Palestinian Authority too,” he added, without elaborating.

The remarks came after two Israeli soldiers, aged 20 and 23, were killed in a shooting attack at a checkpoint near Hebron on Friday morning. Netanyahu ordered the city sealed off and said a West Bank operation on a scale unseen since the 1967 Six-Day War was on its way.

His cryptic warning to the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, adds to uncertainty over Israel’s plans in the territory just days before a closely contested vote.