Israeli commandos killed seven gunmen and two civilians in a raid on a flashpoint town in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian officials said, stirring fear of further flare-ups after the largest single death toll in years of fighting. In response, the Palestinian Authority said it was freezing its security coordination with Israel, which is widely credited with helping to keep order in the West Bank and preventing attacks against Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was not looking to escalate the situation, though he ordered security forces "to prepare for all scenarios in the various sectors."
