Netanyahu Orders West Bank Closed After Hebron Clash Kills Two Soldiers

Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the entire West Bank sealed on Friday after a firefight near Hebron left two Israeli soldiers dead and three others lightly wounded. The Israeli army said Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a military position close to Yehuda Junction, outside the city, before troops killed both attackers. The exchange lasted about 20 minutes.

The military identified the two dead gunmen as Palestinians from Hebron who carried an M16 rifle and a handgun. It said the operation disrupted a planned assault on Israeli civilians. Emergency crews reported five people hurt, two men in their 20s with leg wounds and one person unconscious in serious condition. "We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area," said Tzuriel Edri of the response team. An investigation is underway.

Netanyahu called an emergency meeting of his security cabinet with senior military and intelligence officials. His office said Hebron would be cordoned off at once and gates across the West Bank shut starting Friday. The prime minister accused Hamas of "planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians" without detailing what that attack involved. He said his troops "thwarted this attack with courage and determination." Army chief Eyal Zamir said a "large quantity of ammunition was found" in a vehicle used by the attackers, adding it was intended for a "larger-scale attack."

Troops moved into parts of Hebron later Friday to carry out what the army described as "precise, targeted and thorough searches." The operation is expected to run several days. Residents in the affected area may leave only through three checkpoints after screening. Soldiers also began tearing down structures the army called a "threat." Across the West Bank, forces arrested dozens of people, some linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and seized M16 rifles and submachine guns, the army said.

Netanyahu said Palestinians would be driven out of the neighborhood he said the gunmen came from, pointing to Israel's operations against two refugee camps in 2025. Human Rights Watch has called such removals war crimes; Israel rejects that view. Brad Lander, a U.S. congressional candidate detained by Israeli forces Wednesday after entering the West Bank, said Friday's closure was an effort "to take more control, to make Palestinian life impossible." Amnesty International said this year's olive harvest has been "a season of horror" for Palestinian families, citing a rise in settler violence.

The shutdown marks the fourth time in a month that Israel has cut movement across the territory by closing checkpoints and roads. Israeli voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether Netanyahu serves another term. Speaking before the Oct. 7 anniversary, he said Hamas could attempt a strike to affect the vote but offered no evidence. He also said Hamas had a "large quantity of ammunition" intended for a larger operation.

Netanyahu said security forces would carry out "precise, targeted and thorough searches" in Hebron through the coming days. The West Bank closure takes effect Friday.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented expulsions and settler attacks this year. Israel rejects the war-crimes characterization.