Six Israeli soldiers wounded in Hebron shooting; Netanyahu orders city siege

Two Palestinians opened fire on Israeli forces at the northern entrance to Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the southern occupied West Bank early on Tuesday morning, wounding six Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli media reports cited by Al Jazeera. The two gunmen were killed in the incident. Israel Army Radio reported that both attackers were residents of Hebron.

According to the Hebrew-language outlet Walla, preliminary investigations suggest that the two young Palestinians caught the Israeli forces off guard, opening fire as the soldiers approached them. The Israeli military said its Chief of the General Staff had ordered reinforcements to the central region and authorized the establishment of a complete security cordon around Hebron and its surrounding villages. The military further stated that its forces were besieging Hebron and launching what it described as an extensive offensive operation in the area.

Following the shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the cancellation of all Likud party election-related activities scheduled for the day. He said he had instructed security forces to place Hebron under siege and to completely seal off the West Bank. Netanyahu claimed that Israeli forces had prevented a larger-scale attack in the West Bank and asserted that they would pursue Hamas operatives and those backing them anywhere and at any time.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank. The report by Mehr News, citing Al Jazeera and Israeli media, added that the shooting prompted the reinforcement of troops in the central region and the sealing of Hebron and its surrounding villages.