Israel has ordered its security forces to prepare for a full closure of the occupied West Bank following a shooting in the city of Hebron, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel's security forces had been ordered to cordon off Hebron and prepare to shut all of the Palestinian territory. The incident comes only days ahead of Israel's general election on Tuesday, in which Netanyahu faces a tight race against the main opposition candidate, Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party.
Latest polling puts Netanyahu's far-right coalition falling short of the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-seat parliament, or Knesset. The Israeli military said its forces killed the Palestinian gunmen after they opened fire. The military said Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem had been killed in the attack, and three other soldiers were injured.
Netanyahu said in a statement: "Hamas terrorists were planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians, as evidenced by the large quantities of weapons and ammunition discovered." Newsweek has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment by email. A gunfight lasted for over 20 minutes at around 7.30 a.m. local time on Friday, during which two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a military checkpoint near Hebron. Two Israeli soldiers died and three others were wounded, before Israeli troops killed both attackers.
The dead soldiers served in the 775th "Ari" Battalion of the Home Front Command's Search and Rescue Brigade, The Times of Israel reported. The IDF said it believed the gunmen were planning to carry out a larger attack against Israeli civilians on Route 35, but opened fire at the temporary checkpoint instead when they realized they could not reach the highway. The Times of Israel reported that the Palestinian gunmen were Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba, 27, who were members of the same family, although their exact relationship has not been confirmed.
Footage from the attack showed a prolonged gunfight between the Palestinian assailants and IDF troops, with one clip showing the gunmen leaving their car and firing at the checkpoint, before retreating. It is not clear if the gunmen were working alone or with a larger network. Hamas called the shooting "heroic," but has not claimed responsibility.
Netanyahu posted on X that he held a situation assessment with security chiefs and ordered preparations for a full lockdown across the West Bank. "Our forces are operating with increased intensity to thwart terrorism and are carrying out extensive waves of arrests," he said. "We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who send them, everywhere and at all times." National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the dismantlement of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the major Palestinian cities in the West Bank, including most of Hebron.
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