Israel prepares West Bank closure after shooting near Hebron

Israeli forces killed two suspected Palestinian gunmen near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Friday after a shooting that wounded at least five people, Israeli officials said. Hours later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had instructed security forces to cordon off Hebron and prepare for a full closure of the West Bank starting Friday.

The shooting took place at a military checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron, the BBC reported. NPR said emergency responders arrived near Yehuda Junction while gunfire was still ongoing. “We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area,” responder Tzuriel Edri said.

The five wounded people were Israelis, according to the BBC, citing Israeli officials. NPR reported that the identities of those injured and the two men killed had not been disclosed. Emergency responders said some of the injured were in critical condition and were being taken to hospitals in Israel.

The Israeli military said its soldiers had prevented a “terror attack against Israeli civilians.” It said the gunmen carried an M16 rifle and a handgun. The military found a large quantity of ammunition in their vehicle, the BBC reported. According to the BBC, the military believed the attackers had intended to carry out a larger attack on nearby Route 35 but unexpectedly encountered the checkpoint and opened fire there. NPR reported that the army did not specify the target of the alleged attack.

After the shooting, Netanyahu held an emergency meeting with his Security Cabinet and senior military and security officials. He blamed Hamas, saying the group was “planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians.” He did not describe the alleged plan. “Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination,” he said. Authorities said an investigation was underway.

The shooting came four days before Israel’s general election. Netanyahu, whose campaign has emphasized security, said his Likud party would cancel its morning campaign events, the BBC reported. Israeli media had already reported that the West Bank was expected to be under lockdown on Monday and Tuesday for the election, according to the BBC.

Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called for tighter restrictions on Palestinians’ movement in the West Bank after the shooting. “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 an Israeli name for the territory.

NPR reported that Friday’s order marked the fourth time in a month that Israel had imposed restrictions across the West Bank. Such closures shut gates and checkpoints linking Palestinian villages to major roads, NPR said. Roads used by Israeli drivers, including settlers, remain open, though delays are possible. The shooting also came amid tensions during the annual olive harvest, when extremist Jewish settlers have targeted Palestinians, the BBC reported.