Deadly West Bank Attack Prompts Israeli Closures Days Before Election

According to security reports, the attackers arrived in a vehicle with an Israeli license plate, armed with an M16 rifle and a pistol, and opened fire on a temporary checkpoint. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reported that a large quantity of ammunition was found in their vehicle, indicating they had planned a much larger attack. Following the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an immediate security cordon on Hebron and Halhul, and directed security forces to prepare for a full closure of Judea and Samaria.

Netanyahu vowed to pursue the terrorists and their dispatchers relentlessly, announcing that the IDF would conduct house-to-house searches and evacuations in the Hebron neighborhood where the attackers originated. He also promised a broad IDF operation in Judea and Samaria on an unprecedented scale. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered the demolition of Palestinian buildings near the attack site, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, accusing it of inciting murder and terrorism.