Netanyahu Orders West Bank Closure After Hebron Shooting Wounds Five

Two gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint near Hebron on Friday morning, wounding at least five people. Israeli soldiers killed both attackers.

The shooting happened around 7:30 a.m. local time near the Yehuda Junction checkpoint, according to the Israel Defense Forces. A firefight between the gunmen and soldiers lasted roughly 20 minutes.

Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, said two of the wounded were in critical condition. It was not immediately clear whether the victims were soldiers or civilians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to seal off Hebron immediately. He also directed the military to prepare for a full closure of the occupied West Bank starting Friday.

The IDF said soldiers spotted the two men moving toward civilian areas before they opened fire with a rifle and a handgun. A vehicle the gunmen used held what the IDF called a large quantity of ammunition.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the ammunition suggested the pair planned a much larger attack. “The fighters’ rapid action prevented an even more serious attack and further harm to civilians and security forces,” he said.

Netanyahu accused Hamas of being behind the attack and convened an emergency security meeting after the shooting. “You have nowhere to hide,” he said, vowing that Israel would pursue those responsible.

The closure would last at least through Israel’s national election on Tuesday, October 27, the first since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.