Fourth West Bank Shutdown Begins After 20-Minute Hebron Shootout

A 20-minute exchange of fire killed two Israeli soldiers near Yehuda Junction outside Hebron on Friday, triggering the fourth full closure of the West Bank in the past month. The Israeli army confirmed that both Palestinian gunmen died during the engagement, which also left three other soldiers with light injuries. This is the first time the territory has been sealed since the previous shutdown, a frequency of restrictions that has intensified over the last four weeks.

Emergency responders treated five individuals, some with critical injuries, and transported them to hospitals in Israel. Two men in their 20s sustained gunshot wounds to their lower limbs, while a third patient arrived unconscious and seriously hurt. Tzuriel Edri, a member of the response team, described the arrival conditions. "We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area," Edri said.

The military stated that the two suspects, identified as Palestinians from Hebron, carried an M16 assault rifle and a handgun. They reached an Israeli military position in the morning, initiating the combat sequence. The army claimed it had prevented a "terror attack against Israeli civilians" and opened an immediate investigation into the sequence of events.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of his security cabinet with senior military and security officials. His office instructed security forces to cordon off Hebron and prepare to close the entire territory starting Friday. Netanyahu blamed Hamas, stating the group was "planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians," though he provided no specifics on the nature of the planned strike. He added that "our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination."

Later in the day, the army began "precise, targeted and thorough searches" in the specific part of Hebron where the gunmen operated. This operation is expected to continue for several days. Residents of the affected area can only leave through three designated exit points, subject to questioning and security screening. The military also began demolishing infrastructure it deemed a threat. Army chief of staff Eyal Zamir announced that a "large quantity of ammunition was found" in a vehicle used by the attackers, material intended for a "larger-scale attack."

Israeli forces and security agencies conducted dozens of operations across the West Bank on Friday. These efforts resulted in the arrest of dozens of individuals, including members affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Security teams seized weapons, including M16 rifles and submachine guns. The violence occurs just before Israeli voters decide next Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu another term.

Ahead of the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, Netanyahu suggested Hamas could attempt to strike Israel to influence the election, though he offered no evidence to support that claim. The prime minister also stated the military would force Palestinians out of the Hebron neighborhood from which the attackers originated. He compared this approach to Israel's assaults on two Palestinian refugee camps in 2025. Human Rights Watch has previously stated such expulsions amount to war crimes, a characterization Israel rejects.

U.S. congressional candidate Brad Lander, who was in the West Bank on Friday and detained by Israeli forces on Wednesday, described the closure as part of an effort "to take more control, to make Palestinian life impossible." The region has also experienced a surge in settler violence during this year's olive harvest. Amnesty International has termed the period "a season of horror" for Palestinian families.