West Bank Security: Hebron Cordoned for House Searches After Double Soldier Killing

Tensions in the West Bank escalated on Friday after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers at a road junction near Hebron. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by ordering a major military operation and directing troops to cordon off the city. The Israeli army confirmed that forces killed the shooters at the scene. The dead soldiers were identified as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem. Three additional soldiers sustained light injuries in the exchange of fire.

The military stated that the attackers used an M16 rifle and a handgun. A large quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the vehicle used by the gunmen. Army officials said the volume of gear indicated plans for a major attack on civilians. The security forces have begun offensive counterterrorism operations in the area. Soldiers are currently conducting searches inside the homes of the attackers and other suspects.

Approximately seventy wanted Palestinians have been arrested in West Bank operations over the past week. Netanyahu ordered residents evacuated from the neighborhood where the gunmen lived. The evacuation precedes a house-to-house search for weapons. Hebron is home to more than 200,000 inhabitants. The prime minister said the first step would be to demolish the site where the attack occurred. He described the gunmen as Hamas terrorists, a designation the group has made despite not formally claiming responsibility for the shooting.

Hamas called the attack a heroic and legitimate response to ongoing crimes against its people, land, and holy sites. The group urged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to target Israeli soldiers and civilians. Netanyahu said the military would enter neighborhoods from which the terrorists emerged. He stated that the campaign would involve evacuating residents and dismantling what he called the terror infrastructure. He described the broader operation as extensive within Judea and Samaria.

The escalation takes place days before Israel holds general elections on Tuesday. Netanyahu has made national security a central theme of his campaign for another term. He characterized the shooting as an attempt to influence the vote. He recalled a warning issued weeks earlier that enemies of Israel were preparing attacks to sway the election. His Likud party announced that senior security chiefs convened on Friday. All campaign events for the remainder of the day were canceled.

The violence follows a recent surge in incidents across the West Bank. It also occurred after Brad Lander, a New York Democratic candidate for Congress, was briefly detained by Israeli forces. Lander was helping Palestinian farmers during the annual olive harvest when he was stopped by troops this week.