Israel Launches Multi-Day West Bank Operation After Attack Kills Two Soldiers in Hebron

Israel launched a multi-day operation in the Hebron area of the occupied West Bank on Friday, after two gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint and killed two soldiers, the Israeli military and the Israeli Security Agency said in a joint statement.

Three more soldiers were lightly wounded in the attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Both gunmen were shot and killed, the military said. The military said it found a vehicle used by the gunmen that held a large quantity of ammunition. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the fighters’ rapid action prevented an even more serious attack.

Troops began searches in the area from which the military said the attackers had emerged, and are questioning suspects, the joint statement said. Residents in the area where forces are operating can leave through three designated exit points after questioning and security screening, the statement said.

Searches, demolitions and a cordon

By Friday afternoon, Israeli forces had started demolitions in the Farsh al-Hawa area of Hebron, CNN reported. In video obtained by CNN, an Israeli soldier tells residents of a housing complex that they have five minutes to evacuate. The military said structures that could pose a security threat are being demolished, and that forces are mapping the gunmen’s residences, imposing a cordon on Hebron and Halhul, and setting up roadblocks.

Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem condemned the plan to forcibly displace Palestinian residents from the Hebron neighborhood. Its executive director, Yuli Novak, said Israel was announcing its next crimes in advance, and said the plan would repeat the displacement and destruction inflicted on refugee camps in the northern West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered a full closure of the West Bank starting Friday, and the military said it was imposing a full siege on Hebron. Hours later, Netanyahu said he would consider a cordon around Hebron and Halhul that may extend to other areas. He also said the military would forcefully evacuate the area of the attack and “transform it completely.”

Election four days away

The attack came four days before Israel votes on Tuesday, October 27, in its first election since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu has campaigned as a security hardliner, and he and his right-wing allies visited the scene of the attack, according to reports cited by CNN and The Hindu.

Netanyahu blamed Hamas, saying the group was planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians. The Associated Press reported that he did not elaborate on what the planned attack entailed. Hamas praised the attack in a statement but did not claim responsibility, according to CNN. Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s main rival, said he prayed for the wounded to recover fully and quickly.

Reporting based on coverage by CNN and The Associated Press.