Israel Orders West Bank Closure After Soldiers Kill Two Near Hebron

Israeli soldiers shot and killed two men near Hebron on Friday morning, and hours later the prime minister ordered a full closure of the West Bank, the fourth such restriction in the past month.

The army said its troops intercepted a "terror attack against Israeli civilians." It identified the two men as armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun, and said at least five people were wounded, some critically. The military did not name the dead or injured, and did not say what the intended target was.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that security forces would cordon off Hebron at once and begin a full closure of the West Bank on Friday. Netanyahu then convened an emergency meeting of his Security Cabinet with military and security agency leaders. He blamed Hamas, saying the group was "planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians," and praised troops for thwarting it "with courage and determination." He provided no details on the plot. Earlier Friday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the incident showed Israel must restrict Palestinian movement: "The lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria, of the settlers, the lives of the soldiers, the lives of the police officers, the lives of our fighters are a million times more important than freedom of movement."

Emergency responders said five people were taken to hospitals in Israel. Tzuriel Edri of the response team said, "We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area." Two men in their 20s had gunshot wounds to the lower limbs; another victim was unconscious and seriously hurt. The army said soldiers carried out dozens of operations across the West Bank on Friday, detaining people it identified as linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and recovering M16 rifles and submachine guns. An investigation was ongoing.

The closure follows four rounds of restrictions across the territory in the past month, which shut gates and checkpoints linking Palestinian villages to main roads. Israeli roads in the West Bank remain open to Israeli drivers, including settlers, who may face delays. Israeli voters go to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether to give Netanyahu another term, three years after the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.