Netanyahu launches major West Bank operation

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting attack near Hebron, prompting Netanyahu to order a major military operation in the West Bank and to cordon off Hebron.

The gunmen were killed at the scene after opening fire at a junction near Hebron, and two soldiers were killed while three others were lightly wounded.

The Israeli military found a large quantity of weapons and ammunition in the attackers' vehicle, suggesting plans for a major attack on civilians.

The shooters used an M16 rifle and a handgun, according to the army.

Netanyahu ordered the evacuation of residents from the Hebron neighborhood where the gunmen lived, ahead of a house-to-house search for weapons.

He said they would demolish the site and completely transform it, as Hebron has more than 200,000 inhabitants.

He also said the IDF would enter the neighborhoods from which the terrorists emerged, evacuate the residents, go house-to-house, and dismantle the terror infrastructure.

He described the gunmen as 'Hamas terrorists,' and Hamas called the attack heroic and a legitimate response to 'ongoing crimes and brutal attacks against our people, land, and holy sites.'

The group did not claim responsibility and also urged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to attack Israeli soldiers and civilians in the occupied territory.

The Israeli military said it had begun 'offensive counterterrorism operations' in the Hebron area and that soldiers were operating inside the homes of the attackers and of other suspects.

It also said it had arrested around 70 wanted Palestinians in West Bank operations over the past week.

The escalation comes days before Israel holds elections on Tuesday, where Netanyahu has made national security a central theme of his bid for another term.