Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for preparations for a possible West Bank-wide closure after a shooting near Hebron killed two soldiers, four days before an election the Associated Press described as a test of his security record.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its troops killed two attackers and placed Hebron and several nearby villages under a cordon. The Associated Press reported that three other soldiers were lightly wounded. Netanyahu’s directive called for readiness for a broader closure, but the military update described measures around Hebron rather than a shutdown across the territory.
The restrictions also affected Palestinian access to major roads. The AP said gates and checkpoints shut routes from Palestinian villages, while Israeli motorists, including settlers, could still use major roads; delays were possible.
Netanyahu said troops would search the assailants’ neighborhood and move its residents. “We will evacuate the residents,” he said, according to the AP. He cited earlier military operations in West Bank refugee camps as a model; Reuters reported that Israel’s 2025 campaigns uprooted tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Reuters also reported that crews began pulling down homes near the shooting site after Netanyahu spoke. Residents told Reuters the homes were unrelated to the attackers; the military had not immediately responded to the agency’s request for comment.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) counted 925 movement obstacles affecting 3.4 million Palestinians across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as of December 2025. AFP reported that Hamas voiced support for the shooting without taking responsibility.
EconoTimes previously covered Netanyahu’s initial response to the Hebron attack. Israel’s parliamentary election is scheduled for Oct. 27.
