At least five Israelis were wounded, two of them critically, in a shooting attack at a military checkpoint near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning. The Israeli military said troops shot dead both Palestinian attackers.
Witnesses said two men in casual clothes, armed with a handgun and an automatic rifle, exchanged fire with Israeli forces. The military said soldiers rushed to the Judea Junction area, also known as the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, killed the two attackers and were continuing searches. Israel's emergency service Magen David Adom said one of the wounded, a man in his 20s, was in very serious condition with gunshot wounds. According to sources, soldiers were among the wounded, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel had prevented a "major attack" and said he had instructed the military to impose a cordon on Hebron and prepare for a full closure of the entire West Bank starting Friday. Netanyahu, who is seeking a new term in elections on Tuesday, also called for all political events on Friday to be cancelled.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir used the attack to call for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to be dismantled, although no evidence suggests the authority was connected to it. Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief who is Netanyahu's main election rival, praised the troops' response. "Like all Israelis, I pray for the complete and quick recovery of the injured," he said. Coming days before the vote, the attack is likely to bring tighter restrictions on Palestinian movement across the West Bank.