Israel Orders Hebron Cordon and Major West Bank Operation After Two Soldiers Killed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that he has ordered a major military operation in the West Bank and directed troops to cordon off the city of Hebron. This decision followed a shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others near a junction in the area.

The Israeli military identified the fallen soldiers as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem. Officials stated that two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on the soldiers before being killed by forces at the scene. The army reported finding a large quantity of weapons and ammunition in the attackers' vehicle, including an M16 rifle and a handgun, which it said indicated plans for a major assault on civilians.

Netanyahu instructed officials to evacuate residents from the specific Hebron neighborhood where the gunmen lived. He said the first step would be to demolish the site and transform it. "Our first step will be to demolish this site and completely transform it," he said. The city holds more than 200,000 inhabitants.

The prime minister outlined a wider campaign that would see the Israeli Defense Force enter neighborhoods from which the attackers emerged. He said troops would evacuate residents and dismantle what he called the terror infrastructure. "We are prepared for an extensive operation in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said, using the biblical name for the West Bank.

Hamas, which Israel and the United States have designated as a terrorist group, described the gunmen as heroes and called the attack a legitimate response to ongoing crimes against Palestinians. The group did not claim responsibility but urged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to target Israeli soldiers and civilians.

The escalation occurs just days before Israeli elections scheduled for 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 and noted that his Likud party canceled all campaign events for the remainder of the day. Senior security chiefs were convened to discuss the operation.

The military confirmed it has begun offensive counterterrorism operations in the Hebron area, with soldiers operating inside the homes of the attackers and other suspects. The army also stated that it arrested approximately 70 wanted Palestinians in West Bank operations over the previous week.