Benjamin Netanyahu Orders West Bank Lockdown After Gunmen Kill Two Israeli Soldiers Near Hebron

Two Israeli soldiers died on Friday after Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order a regional lockdown and threaten a historic military campaign.

The Attack And Response

The shooting took place at the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, where two armed men carrying a handgun and an automatic rifle exchanged fire with security forces before being shot dead. The military reported that three other Israelis sustained injuries during the clash, while a search of the attackers' vehicle revealed a large cache of ammunition, leading officials to believe the pair intended a much larger strike on nearby Route 35 before running into the checkpoint. Netanyahu lauded the troops for stopping a potentially massive assault and immediately ordered a strict closure of the West Bank.

Political Fallout

Visiting Hebron later in the day alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu warned that authorities were weighing an offensive in Judea and Samaria on a scale not witnessed since the 1967 war. The initial phase would involve evacuating local residents, conducting house-to-house searches, and destroying infrastructure using a model previously applied in northern refugee camps. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded even harsher measures, including an offensive akin to military campaigns in Gaza and the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, militant group Hamas praised the shooting as a heroic act without officially claiming responsibility, and Netanyahu called off political gatherings for his Likud party as the country approaches an upcoming election.

Context

This incident unfolds during a period of severe friction across the West Bank, compounded by recent violence involving extremist settlers and the ongoing olive harvest season. Security forces frequently demolish properties belonging to suspected attackers as a punitive measure in the territory, where hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of Israelis have died since the start of the broader conflict in October 2023.