Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres spoke out on Sunday against the isolation of northern West Bank as Israel is launching large-scale military offensives against Palestinian militants in response to last week's deadly bombing.

"It is unacceptable under any circumstances to isolate northern Samaria (West bank). It is against all promises made by Israel," Peres said in an interview with Army Radio.

Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has ordered the army to fight the Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for Wednesday's suicide attack which killed five Israelis and wounded some 30 others in Israel's coastal city of Hadera.

As part of the military measures, the Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) launched air strikes in northern Gaza, killing at least eight Palestinians hitherto.

The IDF also clamped down on the Palestinian militant group in northern West Bank and imposed ban on Palestinians entering Israeli areas.

Private Arab vehicles were barred from traveling in northern West Bank and many additional roadblocks were erected across the area.

"We need to check if this really happened," Peres said. "Nobody decided on this in any institution with which I am familiar -- not in the government or the cabinet," Peres added.

The offices of both Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ridiculed Peres' comments, saying it was unclear why Peres made such comments, as the decision to isolate northern West Bank was an operational military decision which was not dependent on receiving an okay from the cabinet or the government.

"We are carrying out a broad operation against terrorism, a broad operation against the Islamic Jihad infrastructure in light of Islamic Jihad's intention to continue with suicide bombings... this activity will continue until we can say that the Islamic Jihad infrastructure can no longer carry out suicide bombings," Mofaz said on Sunday ahead of a weekly cabinet meeting.

Source: Xinhua