Netanyahu orders full lockdown of West Bank after Hebron shooting

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Israel Defense Forces to impose a closure on Hebron and prepare a full lockdown across the West Bank on Friday, after the military said it had killed two Palestinians it identified as the shooters in an attack that wounded five people near the Yehuda Junction outside Hebron.

In remarks after an emergency meeting with his Security Cabinet, Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the incident, saying the group was planning a major attack on civilians and cited the discovery of "large quantities of weapons and ammunition," though he offered no further details.

"Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination," the government press office quoted Netanyahu as saying, adding that he commended the troops and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.

Magen David Adom reported that first responders treated at least five victims, two of them in critical condition, after the shooting. The identities of the two men killed by Israeli forces have not been released.

The lockdown order comes amid a surge in settler violence and military activity in the West Bank, which has intensified during the olive-harvesting season. Far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and a comprehensive military campaign in the territory.

The move precedes next week’s Israeli election, which many view as a referendum on Netanyahu’s handling of security issues since the Oct. 7 attacks.