Israel lifts total closure of West Bank city

Jerusalem  : The Israeli army on Wednesday lifted its complete closure of roads leading to the northern West Bank city of Nablus that had been shut off following the killing of an Israeli settler in the area, although military posts at the city's exit points would remain in place.

A military spokesman confirmed to Efe news agency that the entry of vehicles and people to Nablus was allowed and that departure was also possible, but through security checkpoints.

On Wednesday, the army reported that an extensive security operation was underway in Nablus and nearby villages in response to the fatal shooting on Tuesday night of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, a resident in the nearby settlement outpost Havat Guilad.

Shevach, 35, was buried Wednesday at the outpost where he lived with his wife and six children, who are between the ages of ten months and ten years old.

An unspecified number of attackers opened fire on the vehicle in which Raziel was traveling on Highway 60, killing him with a wound to the neck.

A right-wing member of the Israeli parliament, Bezalel Smotrich, was traveling on the same road at the time and was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the attack and administer aid to the victim.

In a post to Twitter, Smotrich called the attackers subhuman and called on the minister of defense to order security forces to act immediately with a heavy hand and show Palestinians that they will pay a high price for such attacks.

Apparently in revenge for Shevach's killing, Israeli settlers on Tuesday reportedly threw stones at Palestinian residents and vehicles in the area.