The key facts

  • Netanyahu ordered a cordon around Hebron and preparations for a full closure of the West Bank
  • Two armed men killed at a checkpoint near Hebron, five wounded, several critically
  • Measures announced a week before Israel's first election since 2019

The attack near Hebron and Netanyahu's response

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government is preparing to close the occupied West Bank after an attack on Israeli servicemen on Friday. According to him, the military prevented a 'major attack': soldiers shot dead two armed men in a shootout at a checkpoint near Hebron. As a result of the attack, five people were wounded, several of them critically. 'I admire our heroic fighters who acted decisively and prevented a major terror attack, and I wish our wounded a speedy recovery,' Netanyahu said.

Cordon around Hebron and closure of the West Bank

Netanyahu added that he had ordered the military to 'establish a cordon around the city of Hebron and prepare a full closure of the entire West Bank starting today'.

Context of the election and the situation in the region

The announced measures are being introduced a week before the election in Israel — the first since 2019 and the first after the Hamas attacks of October 7. According to Deutsche Welle, settler violence in the West Bank is growing, and dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the territory since the beginning of the year. The outlet notes that the information may be updated.