Israel seals Hebron after killing of two soldiers

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israeli forces would seal off the city of Hebron and launch a major military operation in the West Bank. This move follows a shooting attack that resulted in the deaths of two soldiers.

The Israeli military confirmed that two Palestinian men opened fire at a junction near Hebron. Soldiers at the scene killed both gunmen. The army identified the deceased as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem. Three other soldiers sustained light injuries in the exchange of fire.

Military officials stated that the attackers used an M16 rifle and a handgun. A search of the vehicle the men were using revealed a large quantity of weapons and ammunition. The army said these findings indicated the shooters had planned a major attack on civilians.

Netanyahu instructed troops to evacuate residents from the specific neighborhood where the gunmen lived. He ordered a house-to-house search for weapons in the area. Hebron is home to more than 200,000 people. The prime minister said the initial step would be to demolish the site of the attack and completely transform it.

He described the gunmen as Hamas terrorists. Hamas called the attack heroic and a legitimate response to ongoing crimes against its people and holy sites. The group did not claim responsibility for the specific shooting but urged armed Palestinians to target Israeli soldiers and civilians in the occupied territory.

The military reported that offensive counterterrorism operations began immediately in the Hebron area. Soldiers entered the homes of the attackers and other suspects. The army also said it arrested around 70 wanted Palestinians during operations across the West Bank over the past week.

The escalation occurs days before Israel holds general elections on Tuesday. Netanyahu has made national security a central theme of his campaign for another term. He characterized the shooting as an attempt to influence the vote. His Likud party stated that Netanyahu convened senior security chiefs on Friday and canceled all campaign events for the rest of the day.