Benjamin Netanyahu orders the isolation of the West Bank after the Hebron shooting, which left five people wounded and two attackers dead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army on Friday to prepare for the complete isolation of the occupied West Bank after a shooting attack targeting Israeli soldiers in Hebron left five people wounded. Two of the wounded are in critical condition, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service.

The attack took place on Friday morning at a checkpoint near a major intersection in northern Hebron. Two men dressed in black, one armed with a submachine gun and the other with a semiautomatic pistol, opened fire on the soldiers. A gun battle lasting approximately 20 minutes followed, leaving both attackers dead.

Netanyahu ordered the immediate establishment of a blockade around Hebron and called for preparations to extend the measure to the entire West Bank. He said that a large-scale attack had been prevented and canceled Likud party campaign events.

The attack was not claimed by any group. Hamas described it as a “heroic operation” without taking responsibility. The incident comes ahead of Israel’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for Tuesday, amid intensifying tensions in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.