Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a sweeping lockdown of the occupied West Bank on Friday following a shooting attack near the city of Hebron that left at least five people injured and resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians accused of carrying out the assault.
Netanyahu’s office directed the Israel Defense Forces to immediately impose a closure over Hebron and extend a full lockdown across the entire West Bank. The Israeli military said it killed the two suspected attackers and continued searching the surrounding area for any additional threats.
Israel’s emergency medical service Magen David Adom reported receiving the initial call just after 7 a.m. local time about multiple casualties near the Yehuda Junction outside Hebron. First responders treated at least five people at the scene with two of the victims listed in critical condition.
The identities of the two individuals killed by Israeli forces had not been confirmed by late Friday morning. The military said they were responsible for launching the shooting attack but provided no further details about who they were.
The dramatic security response comes just days before a pivotal Israeli national election widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 2023. Netanyahu has centered his campaign heavily on security issues and has repeatedly warned of potential threats from Israel’s enemies ahead of Tuesday’s vote without offering specific evidence.
Tensions across the West Bank have been escalating for weeks as the Palestinian olive harvesting season began. The United Nations reported more than 160 settler attacks tied to the harvest in just the first two weeks of October with many allegedly carried out alongside or under the protection of Israeli security forces.
American citizens have been among those caught up in the unrest. Several U.S. nationals accompanying Palestinian farmers during the harvest were attacked and New York congressional candidate Brad Lander was detained earlier this week along with American activists and rabbis in the region.
Settler violence during the olive harvest season has been a recurring crisis for years but has intensified sharply since the October 7 attacks. Palestinians have also reported having their olive crops stolen during the ongoing harvest period.
Netanyahu’s government has continued to support settlement expansion in the West Bank despite widespread international criticism. The latest lockdown order underscores the deepening volatility in the territory as Israeli voters prepare to head to the polls.