Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to evacuate residents and search homes in the attackers’ Hebron neighborhood after the Israeli military said a checkpoint shooting killed two soldiers.
The attack took place Friday, Oct. 23, at a temporary checkpoint near Yehuda Junction, outside Hebron. The military said its forces killed two gunmen. The Associated Press reported that three other soldiers were lightly wounded. EconoTimes previously covered Netanyahu’s response to the Hebron shooting.
Netanyahu said troops would search homes for weapons and destroy infrastructure he described as terrorist. He also called for faster removal of homes along roads that he described as illegal.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich separately said he had ordered the immediate demolition of nearby structures he described as illegal. Reuters reported that bulldozers began demolishing homes near the shooting site. Residents told Reuters the homes being demolished had no connection to the attackers.
The Israeli military said its operation would focus on the area where the gunmen operated and last several days. Residents could leave through three designated points after questioning and security screening. Netanyahu said a broader West Bank operation was being prepared but gave no date.
Netanyahu compared the Hebron plan with an approach used in refugee camps. The Associated Press reported that earlier operations in those camps displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians. Israel’s Central Elections Committee lists Oct. 27 as election day, four days after the attack.
