Netanyahu shuts off West Bank after soldiers killed near Hebron

Two Israeli soldiers died and three others were lightly wounded in a shooting near Hebron on Friday, triggering an order to seal off the entire West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the closure after an emergency meeting of his security cabinet. The military stated that two Palestinian gunmen from Hebron engaged in a firefight with troops for approximately 20 minutes before being killed.

The incident began in the morning near the Yehuda Junction. The attackers were armed with an M16 assault rifle and a handgun. Emergency responders treated five people, some of them critically, and transported them to hospitals in Israel. Two men in their 20s sustained gunshot wounds to their legs, while one other individual was unconscious. Tzuriel Edri, a member of the response team, noted that medics arrived while shooting was still active in the area.

Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the violence, claiming the group was planning a major attack on civilians. He said his soldiers had thwarted the plan with courage. The army later reported finding a large quantity of ammunition in a vehicle used by the attackers, which was intended for a larger-scale operation. Military chief of staff Eyal Zamir confirmed the discovery of the weapons.

In the hours following the shooting, the army began searching the area of Hebron where the gunmen operated. The operation is expected to last several days. Residents of the affected zone can only leave through three designated exit points after undergoing security screening. The military also started demolishing infrastructure it deemed a threat. Dozens of arrests were made across the West Bank on Friday, including members affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Netanyahu stated that the military would force Palestinians out of the specific Hebron neighborhood where the attackers originated. He compared this move to Israel's assaults on two Palestinian refugee camps in 2025. Human Rights Watch has previously described such expulsions as war crimes, a characterization Israel rejects.

The closure occurs just before Israeli voters decide on Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu another term. The prime minister suggested Hamas might strike to influence the election, though he provided no specific evidence. This is the fourth time in the past month that Israel has restricted movement in the West Bank by shutting gates and checkpoints. Brad Lander, a U.S. congressional candidate who was detained in the West Bank on Wednesday, described the closure as an effort to make Palestinian life impossible. Amnesty International has called the current olive harvest season a period of intense violence for Palestinian families.