Israel has imposed sweeping closures and locked down the occupied West Bank following a shooting attack near Hebron that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers, according to reports from the region. The United Nations stated that it was extremely alarmed by the intensifying violence.
According to Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera, the incident occurred at a checkpoint in northern Hebron when two Palestinian men opened fire on troops. An exchange of fire lasting roughly 20 minutes left the two Palestinians dead and wounded several Israeli soldiers. Reports varied slightly on the number of wounded soldiers, with figures ranging from five to six.
Following a security assessment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the immediate closure of Hebron and directed forces to prepare for a full lockdown across the entire occupied West Bank. Netanyahu later visited the site of the attack alongside right-wing allies and Defence Minister Israel Katz, stating that a large-scale military operation in the territory was on the way on a scale not seen since 1967.
Netanyahu declared that the initial phase of the operation would involve the forced displacement of Palestinians in Hebron, searching homes, and destroying what he termed terrorist infrastructure. Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir also visited the scene, stating that troops would pursue all those involved in the attack.
Approximately 20 Israeli military vehicles subsequently entered Hebron as the army launched what it termed a targeted and limited counterterrorism operation expected to last several days. The military announced that Palestinian residents would only be permitted to leave the city through three designated exit points following questioning and screening.
During the intensifying raids, Israeli forces also closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and expelled its staff and custodians, according to Palestinian media. Additional raids were reported in Dura, south of Hebron, where security forces shot and wounded at least one Palestinian man and carried out arrests.
