Hebron Cordoned Off as Israel Launches Home Searches After Soldier Deaths

Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major military operation in the West Bank on Friday. The directive came after two Palestinian men opened fire at a junction near Hebron, killing two Israeli soldiers. The prime minister instructed troops to cordon off the city and begin a house-to-house search for weapons.

The Israeli military identified the fallen soldiers as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem. Three other soldiers sustained light injuries in the exchange. The army stated that the gunmen used an M16 rifle and a handgun. Forces at the scene killed the two attackers. Soldiers later found a large quantity of weapons and ammunition in the shooters' vehicle, which the military said indicated a plan for a major attack on civilians.

Netanyahu ordered residents evacuated from the specific neighborhood where the gunmen lived. He stated that the first step would be to demolish the site and completely transform it. The city of Hebron has more than 200,000 inhabitants. The prime minister said the Israel Defense Forces would enter the neighborhoods from which the terrorists emerged. He added that the army would dismantle the terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, the Israeli name for the West Bank.

Hamas called the attack heroic. The group described the shooting as a legitimate response to ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people, land, and holy sites. Hamas did not claim formal responsibility for the incident. The group urged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to attack Israeli soldiers and civilians in the occupied territory.

The military said it began offensive counterterrorism operations in the Hebron area. Soldiers are currently operating inside the homes of the attackers and other suspects. The army reported arresting around 70 wanted Palestinians during West Bank operations over the past week. This escalation occurs days before Israel holds general elections on Tuesday. Netanyahu has made national security a central theme of his bid for another term.

The prime minister characterized the shooting as an attempt to influence the vote. He recalled a warning issued a few weeks earlier that Israel's enemies were preparing attacks to sway the election. His Likud party announced that Netanyahu convened senior security chiefs on Friday. All campaign events for the rest of the day were canceled.

The attack follows a recent surge in violence in the West Bank. It also occurred after Brad Lander, a New York Democratic candidate for Congress, was briefly detained by Israeli forces this week. Lander was detained while helping Palestinian farmers during the annual olive harvest.