Israel vows major West Bank operation, cordons off city of Hebron
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and cordoned off Hebron after a Palestinian attack left five people wounded.
The Israeli military confirmed killing the Palestinian gunmen after they opened fire at a junction near Hebron. Two people were seriously wounded in the attack, according to Israeli paramedics. Netanyahu stated he had ordered the evacuation of residents from the neighborhood where the attackers lived ahead of a house-to-house search for weapons.
Military Response
Our first step will be to demolish this site and completely transform it, Netanyahu announced. He added that he ordered the Israel Defense Forces to cordon off Hebron, a city with over 200,000 inhabitants. The IDF will enter the neighborhoods from which the terrorists emerged, evacuate the residents, go house-to-house, and dismantle the terror infrastructure.
We are prepared for an extensive operation in Judea and Samaria
Election Context
The escalation comes just before Israel holds elections on Tuesday, with Netanyahu making national security a central issue of his campaign. He claimed the Palestinian shooting attack was an attempt to influence the elections, referencing a warning he made weeks ago about Israel's enemies preparing attacks to affect the vote.
Israeli forces discovered a large amount of weapons and ammunition in the attackers' vehicle, alleging they were planning a major attack on civilians. The shooters used an M16 rifle and a handgun in their attack, according to the IDF.
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