Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that he has ordered a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and instructed armed forces to cordon off Hebron following a shooting attack that left two Israeli soldiers dead.
According to the Israeli military, the incident occurred at a junction near Hebron when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire. Soldiers returned fire and killed the attackers at the scene. The military subsequently identified the slain soldiers as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem. Three other service members sustained light injuries in the assault.
In response to the attack, Netanyahu stated that he directed authorities to evacuate residents from the Hebron neighborhood where the two gunmen lived in preparation for a thorough house-to-house sweep for weapons. Describing the planned measures, Netanyahu said the initial step involves demolishing the site and completely transforming it.
Netanyahu further instructed the Israel Defense Forces to seal off Hebron, a city with a population exceeding 200,000, and warned that a wider military campaign would ensue. The prime minister stated that the military will enter the neighborhoods from which the attackers originated, clear out residents, conduct house-to-house searches, and dismantle local infrastructure, adding that the country is prepared for an extensive operation across the West Bank.
The military reported recovering a large quantity of weapons and ammunition from the vehicle used by the attackers, alleging that the pair had been plotting a major assault against civilians. The IDF stated that the shooters utilized an M16 rifle and a handgun during the attack.
Netanyahu asserted that the shooting was a deliberate attempt to influence upcoming Israeli elections scheduled for Tuesday, noting that national security has served as a central pillar of his campaign for another term. He also referenced a previous warning issued weeks prior regarding hostile entities preparing attacks designed to impact the vote. Netanyahu identified the gunmen as Hamas operatives.
While Hamas stopped short of claiming direct responsibility, the group characterized the shooting as heroic and a legitimate response to ongoing actions against Palestinians, their land, and religious sites. Hamas further urged individuals in the West Bank possessing firearms to use them against Israeli soldiers and settlers in the territory.
In the wake of the shooting, the military initiated offensive counterterrorism sweeps in the Hebron area, targeting the homes of the attackers and other individuals of interest. The IDF reported arresting approximately 70 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank over the preceding week.
Netanyahu’s Likud party announced that the prime minister had convened senior security officials on Friday and canceled all remaining campaign events for the day. The escalation unfolds amid a recent increase in Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and follows an incident earlier in the week involving New York Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander, who was briefly detained by Israeli forces while assisting Palestinian farmers during the annual olive harvest.
