Fourth West Bank Closure Follows Hebron Ambush

Twenty minutes. That is how long the firefight lasted near the Yehuda Junction outside Hebron on Friday before Israeli forces killed two Palestinian gunmen. The engagement resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and three others sustained light wounds. This incident marks the fourth time in the past month that Israel has restricted movement across the West Bank by shutting gates and checkpoints.

The Israeli army stated that the two attackers, identified as Palestinians from Hebron, were armed with an M16 assault rifle and a handgun. They reached an Israeli military position in the morning, initiating the exchange. Emergency responders treated five people, some critically, and transported them to hospitals in Israel. Two men in their 20s suffered gunshot wounds to their lower limbs, while one person remained unconscious.

Tzuriel Edri of the response team described the scene upon arrival. "We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area," Edri said. Authorities confirmed that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of his security cabinet with senior military and security officials. His office instructed security forces to cordon off Hebron immediately and prepare to close the entire West Bank starting Friday. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the attack, claiming the group was "planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians." He added that "our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination."

The army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, stated that a "large quantity of ammunition was found" in a vehicle used by the attackers. He indicated this ammunition was intended for a "larger-scale attack." Later in the day, the military began "precise, targeted and thorough searches" in the specific part of Hebron where the gunmen operated. Residents of the area will be able to leave only through three designated exit points after questioning and security screening.

The military reported that its forces and Israeli security agencies carried out dozens of operations across the West Bank on Friday. These operations resulted in the arrest of dozens of people, including some affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Forces also seized weapons such as M16 rifles and submachine guns. The army said it had started demolishing infrastructure that poses a "threat."

The violence occurs as Israeli voters prepare to decide next Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu another term. Ahead of the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, Netanyahu suggested Hamas could try to strike Israel to influence the election, though he offered no evidence. He stated the military would force Palestinians out of the Hebron neighborhood from which he said the attackers came, comparing the approach to Israel's assaults on two Palestinian refugee camps in 2025.

Human Rights Watch has said such expulsions amount to war crimes, a characterization Israel rejects. U.S. congressional candidate Brad Lander, who was in the West Bank on Friday and was detained by Israeli forces on Wednesday, called the closure part of an effort "to take more control, to make Palestinian life impossible." Amnesty International noted that the West Bank has seen a surge in settler violence during this year's olive harvest, describing it as "a season of horror" for Palestinian families.