HEBRON, West Bank — Israeli soldiers shot and killed two men the military says opened fire near Hebron on Friday morning, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then ordered the army to prepare to seal off the entire West Bank, NPR reported.
At least five people were injured, some critically. The army said it stopped a “terror attack against Israeli civilians” and that the gunmen carried an M16 rifle and a handgun. It did not identify the dead or wounded.
Netanyahu’s office said security forces were told to cordon off Hebron immediately and prepare a full West Bank closure starting Friday. After an emergency Security Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu blamed Hamas, saying it was planning “a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians.”
The shooting comes days before Israel’s election on Tuesday, when voters decide whether to give Netanyahu another term. The government had warned of possible attacks in the run-up to the vote.
Sources: NPR, ABC News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
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