West Bank Closed as Two Soldiers Die in Hebron Ambush

Movement across the occupied West Bank stopped on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a full closure of the territory. The shutdown followed the death of two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen in a firefight near Hebron. Residents in the affected areas must now pass through three designated exit points to leave their neighborhoods.

The Israeli army said the shooting occurred near the Yehuda Junction outside Hebron. Three additional soldiers suffered light wounds during the exchange, which lasted approximately 20 minutes. Emergency responders transported five injured individuals to hospitals in Israel, including two men in their 20s with gunshot wounds to their lower limbs and one unconscious person. Tzuriel Edri of the response team stated that his unit arrived at the scene while shooting was still active.

Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of his security cabinet to coordinate the response. His office instructed security forces to cordon off Hebron immediately. The prime minister attributed the incident to Hamas, claiming the group was planning a major attack to kill civilians. He said his soldiers thwarted the plan with courage and determination, though he provided no specific details on the planned operation.

Military operations expanded later in the day as troops began targeted searches in the specific area of Hebron where the gunmen operated. The army expects these searches to continue for several days. It also began demolishing local infrastructure that posed a threat to security. Army chief of staff Eyal Zamir announced that a large quantity of ammunition was found in a vehicle used by the attackers, indicating preparations for a larger-scale attack.

Security forces conducted dozens of operations across the West Bank on Friday. Agents arrested dozens of people, including members affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and seized weapons such as M16 rifles and submachine guns. This closure marks the fourth time in the past month that Israel has restricted movement by shutting gates and checkpoints linking Palestinian villages to main roads.

The violence occurred one day before Israeli voters head to the polls to decide whether to grant Netanyahu another term. He warned that Hamas might strike Israel to influence the election, although he offered no evidence for this claim. The prime minister stated that the military would force Palestinians out of the Hebron neighborhood where the attackers originated, a tactic similar to assaults on two refugee camps in 2025.

Human Rights Watch has previously described such expulsions as war crimes, a characterization Israel rejects. U.S. congressional candidate Brad Lander, who was detained by Israeli forces on Wednesday while visiting the West Bank, called the closure an effort to make Palestinian life impossible. Amnesty International noted that settler violence has surged during this year's olive harvest, a period it described as a season of horror for local families.