Israeli military tears down structures in Hebron following checkpoint shooting by two gunmen

Israeli forces have started tearing down Palestinian structures in Hebron following a shooting at a checkpoint outside the West Bank city on Friday morning that left two Israeli soldiers dead. Three additional soldiers sustained injuries during the shootout before security personnel shot and killed the two armed assailants. Verified footage shows a fierce exchange of gunfire, while unverified CCTV recordings capture two men getting out of a car with a handgun and an assault rifle to open fire on troops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the military would level the neighbourhood of the two suspected attackers and noted he had reviewed plans for a major military campaign in the West Bank. Authorities placed travel blocks around Hebron, home to roughly 200,000 people, and the nearby town of Halhul. Military officials reported finding heavy supplies of bullets inside the vehicle of the attackers, leading investigators to believe the men originally planned a larger strike on nearby Route 35 before encountering the checkpoint. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the government to launch an aggressive operation in the West Bank similar to actions in Gaza or Lebanon, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir proposed dismantling the Palestinian Authority. Foreign Minister Israel Katz blamed opposition politicians for weakening state security by questioning warnings about potential violence ahead of the vote. Opposition leaders, such as election frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, expressed sympathy for the dead soldiers and praised the elimination of the attackers.

Context

This violence erupted just four days before Israel's general election, immediately altering political campaigns centered heavily on national security. The demolition of structures belonging to families of suspected attackers is a routine measure by Israeli forces, though rights organizations regularly condemn the practice as unfair punishment for people not involved in the crimes.