Netanyahu orders closure of West Bank after two soldiers killed in shooting attack

By Jeremy Diamond, Oren Liebermann, CNN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the closure of the occupied West Bank after two Palestinian gunmen opened fire Friday on an Israeli military checkpoint, killing two soldiers.

Three more soldiers were lightly wounded in the attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The attack came just four days before Israel holds elections for the first time since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, in a crucial test for Netanyahu, who has sought to portray himself as a security hardliner.

The IDF said it was imposing “a full siege” on the city of Hebron after the attack and Netanyahu said he had ordered a full closure of the West Bank starting Friday.

But it was unclear exactly when such a full closure would begin or how long it would last.

There are over 900 Israeli military checkpoints, gates and barriers across the West Bank. And while closures and restrictions around checkpoints between Palestinian cities and villages are routine in the territory, especially around Jewish holidays and significant events, Israel lacks the forces to shut down every checkpoint and impose a complete closure that would fully prevent the movement of Palestinians.

A full closure will also prevent Palestinians with Israeli identification cards or work permits from entering Israel, but that number is already extremely limited.

Both gunmen were shot and killed, the IDF said in a statement, as forces continued searches across the area for anyone else who may be connected to the attack.

Videos from the scene depict a firefight between the Palestinian gunmen and Israeli forces that lasted at least several minutes with repeated bursts of gunfire ringing out. In one Reuters video, an Israeli responder yells that the shooting has been going on for at least 20 minutes and they were struggling to remove the wounded from the scene.

The IDF said it located a vehicle used by the gunmen to carry out the attack, which was filled with “a large quantity” of ammunition. “This was a serious terror attack,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir following a situation assessment. “The fighters’ rapid action prevented an even more serious attack and further harm to civilians and security forces.” He said the ammunition in the car was intended to be used “to carry out an attack on a much larger scale.”

Zamir said the IDF would also carry out further arrests of suspects and increase intelligence operations in the area.

“We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who sent them, wherever they are and at all times,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Netanyahu later on Friday said the military would forcefully evacuate the area and “transform it completely,” adding that Israel would employ the plan used in the Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Al-Far’a refugee camps in early 2025, which led to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians and the evacuation of entire neighborhoods.

“That is exactly what we will do here, in a neighborhood in Hebron from which the terrorists came. We will evacuate the residents, go house to house, remove weapons found there, and address and destroy all terrorist infrastructure,” he said.

Hamas praised the attack in a statement but did not claim responsibility.

“Together with all the people of Israel, I pray for the full and speedy recovery of those wounded in the attack,” said Netanyahu’s main rival, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, said in a statement on X.

CNN’s Dana Karni and Kara Fox contributed reporting.

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