Israel Orders West Bank Closure After Deadly Shooting Near Hebron Days Before National Election

HEBRON: Israeli forces shot and killed two men on Friday morning after the military said they opened fire near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. At least five people were wounded, some critically, four days before Israelis vote in a closely watched general election.

The Israeli army said its troops had prevented an attack on Israeli civilians and that the two gunmen were armed with an M16 rifle and a pistol. The military did not say what the intended target was, and the identities of those killed and wounded were not immediately released.

Emergency medical teams said they reached the scene near Yehuda Junction while gunfire was still under way. Five people were taken to hospitals inside Israel. Among them were two men in their twenties with gunshot wounds to the lower body, one of whom was unconscious and in serious condition. Authorities said an investigation had been opened.

Within hours, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said security forces had been instructed to seal off Hebron immediately and to prepare for a full closure of the entire West Bank starting Friday. Netanyahu also convened an emergency session of his Security Cabinet with the heads of the military and security agencies. He blamed Hamas, saying the group had been preparing a major attack on civilians, and praised the soldiers who stopped it. He did not give details of the alleged plot or say whether the wounded were soldiers or civilians.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads a far-right party, said the attack showed that Palestinians’ freedom of movement in the West Bank should be further restricted.

The army said that separately on Friday, its soldiers and Israeli security and intelligence agencies carried out dozens of operations across the West Bank. They detained dozens of people, including members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and seized weapons including M16 rifles and submachine guns.

The shooting comes as Israelis prepare to vote on Tuesday, October 27, to decide whether to give Netanyahu another term. It is the first national election since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza. The government had warned of possible attacks by Israel’s enemies ahead of the vote. Earlier this month, Netanyahu said Hamas might try to influence the election through violence, though he did not provide evidence.

Friday’s order is the fourth time in the past month that Israel has imposed territory-wide restrictions in the West Bank, closing gates and checkpoints that link Palestinian villages to main roads. Israeli roads in the territory remain open to Israeli drivers, including settlers, though delays are expected.