Israeli forces killed two gunmen at a checkpoint near Hebron. The order comes days before Israel’s election.
HEBRON, West Bank – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ordered a cordon around the city of Hebron and told security forces to prepare a full closure of the occupied West Bank, hours after Israeli soldiers shot dead two armed men near a checkpoint. Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, said five people were wounded in the attack, two of them critically.
The shooting happened at about 7:30 a.m. at Judea Junction on Route 35, near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint on the outskirts of Hebron. A journalist who witnessed the exchange saw two Palestinian men in casual clothes firing at Israeli forces with a handgun and an automatic rifle. The Israeli military said the gunmen carried an M16 rifle and a handgun and that it prevented an attack on Israeli civilians. It later said the men had planned a “large-scale” attack, though it did not say what the target was. The military set up roadblocks and closures in Palestinian towns in the area.
Netanyahu’s office said he instructed the army and security forces to impose a cordon on Hebron immediately and prepare for a “full lockdown” of the entire West Bank, starting Friday. He also cancelled campaign events, Al Jazeera reported.
The attack comes days before Israelis vote in an election on Tuesday that could decide whether Netanyahu’s coalition stays in power. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the shooting showed that Israel must restrict Palestinians’ freedom of movement in the West Bank, and he called for the Palestinian Authority to be dismantled, according to The National.
Violence in the West Bank has risen in recent weeks. The National reported that settler and military violence against Palestinians has spread during the olive harvest season.
This report draws on information from The Associated Press, NBC News, Al Jazeera and The National.