TEL AVIV, Oct 9: Four Israeli army reserve units are to be deployed to the West Bank and Gaza Strip from Oct 22 as part of a host of security measures to foil feared attacks by Palestinian militants, Israeli radio said.

Defense minister Shaul Mofaz had decided to deploy the units to the West Bank towns of Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilya and Ramallah as well as in Gaza, the report said.

Israel has maintained a tight closure of the West Bank and Gaza since a suicide bombing on Saturday in Haifa which left 19 people dead as well as the bomber.

Mofaz said that the call-up of the reservists was needed as “the Israeli people will not tolerate a new attack like last Saturday’s in Haifa”, the radio added.

There was no immediate confirmation of the decision. An army source said the “option of deploying a limited number of reserve forces is being examined”, adding that a decision had already been made to halt training courses in order to allow any deployment.

On the ground, the army and security services continued to be on a high state of alert after intelligence that Palestinian militants may be planning attacks to coincide with the upcoming Sukkot holiday which begins on Friday and runs to Oct 17.

The reserve units set to be mobilised would relieve troops at the end of the holiday period.

The Haaretz newspaper meanwhile reported that Israel was considering the expulsion of wanted militants as well as their families and “accomplices”.

Quoting security sources, the daily said that discussions had taken place about the expulsion of 25 people linked to Islamic Jihad — the organisation behind the bombing in Haifa.

An Israeli army spokesman said that 15 wanted militants had been arrested overnight, including seven suspected members of Islamic Jihad in Jenin.

Medical sources also said that one of three soldiers who was shot when a suspected Palestinian gunmen opened fire on their vehicle near Nablus late Wednesday was in a critical condition. —AFP