Israel Seals Hebron After Soldier Deaths

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major military operation in the West Bank on Friday. He instructed troops to cordon off Hebron following a shooting that left two Israeli soldiers dead. The prime minister announced the orders during a public address.

The Israeli military reported that the gunmen fired at a junction near Hebron. Forces at the scene killed both attackers. The army later identified the dead soldiers as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem. Three other soldiers sustained minor injuries during the exchange.

Soldiers found a large quantity of weapons and ammunition in the attackers' vehicle. The military stated that these items suggested the men planned a major attack on civilians. The shooters used an M16 rifle and a handgun, according to army reports.

Netanyahu ordered the evacuation of the Hebron neighborhood where the gunmen resided. He directed troops to conduct house-to-house searches for weapons. "Our first step will be to demolish this site and completely transform it," he said. Hebron is home to more than 200,000 people.

The prime minister described a wider campaign that would follow the initial search. "The IDF will enter the neighborhoods from which the terrorists emerged, evacuate the residents, go house-to-house, and dismantle the terror infrastructure," he stated. He added that Israel was prepared for an extensive operation in Judea and Samaria, the Israeli name for the West Bank.

Netanyahu labeled the gunmen as Hamas terrorists. Hamas called the attack a heroic response to ongoing crimes against its people and land. The group did not claim responsibility for the shooting but urged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to attack Israeli soldiers and civilians. The military confirmed it had begun offensive counterterrorism operations in the area. Soldiers were operating inside the homes of the attackers and other suspects. The army also reported arresting around 70 wanted Palestinians in West Bank operations over the past week.

The escalation occurs days before Israel holds elections on Tuesday. Netanyahu has made national security a central theme of his campaign. He characterized the shooting as an attempt to influence the vote, recalling a warning he issued weeks earlier about enemies preparing attacks. His Likud party said senior security chiefs met on Friday and that all campaign events for the day were canceled. The attack follows a recent surge in violence in the West Bank. It also came after New York Democratic candidate Brad Lander was briefly detained by Israeli forces while helping Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest.