Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Hebron closed and preparations made for a wider West Bank lockdown on Friday, October 23, after a shooting near the city wounded five Israelis and Israeli forces killed two Palestinian suspects.
The gunfire broke out near a military checkpoint at Yehuda Junction, close to Hebron. Israeli emergency responders said at least two of the wounded were in critical condition. The Israeli military said its troops killed the two men.
The military said the men were armed with a rifle and a handgun. Officials had not publicly said what the men intended to target. Netanyahu said security forces should immediately close off Hebron and prepare for a complete closure of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces began security operations in the area. The Israeli military said it suspected the attackers may have planned a larger attack, but that assessment had not been independently confirmed. The shooting and lockdown order came days before Israel’s October 27 parliamentary election.
This placed security at the center of an already tense political period. Hamas praised the attack but, according to ABC News, did not claim responsibility.