Israeli soldiers have shot dead two men after an alleged attack near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, prompting Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to order preparations for a full closure of the territory.
Israel’s prime minister’s office said security forces had been instructed to immediately cordon off Hebron and prepare to seal the West Bank from Friday. The army subsequently established roadblocks and closures in Palestinian towns in the area.
The military said it had thwarted a “terror attack against Israeli civilians”, claiming the gunmen were carrying an M16 rifle and a handgun. It did not specify the alleged target or identify the two men who were killed.
Emergency responders said five people were injured, some critically, and were being taken to hospitals in Israel. Two men in their 20s suffered gunshot wounds to their lower limbs, while another person was unconscious and seriously injured, they said.
Responders said gunfire was continuing when they reached the scene near Yehuda Junction on Friday morning. “We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area,” said Tzuriel Edri, a member of the response team.
An investigation was under way, authorities said.
Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said the incident demonstrated the need to restrict Palestinian freedom of movement in the West Bank.
“The lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria, of the settlers, the lives of the soldiers, the lives of the police officers, the lives of our fighters are a million times more important than freedom of movement,” he said, using Israel’s term for the West Bank.
The shooting came before Israeli voters are due to decide on Tuesday whether to give Mr Netanyahu another term as prime minister or begin a new era in the country’s politics. The election is taking place three years after Hamas-led attacks on Israel triggered the war in Gaza.
The Israeli government has warned of possible attacks by the country’s “enemies” ahead of the vote. Before the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks, Mr Netanyahu said Hamas could launch an assault in an attempt to influence the election, but provided no evidence for the claim.
