JERUSALEM (AP) — Two Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack in the Occupied West Bank Friday morning, which also left two suspected dead, the army said, violence likely to increase political tensions and security concerns ahead of the Israeli attack. parliamentary election next week.
The Army said two soldiers, Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, was killed and three others were lightly injured in an attack by Palestinian gunmen. The attack took place near the Yehuda intersection, outside the West Bank city of Hebron.
The army said it had prevented a “terrorist attack against Israeli civilians” and that the two suspects, both Palestinians from Hebron, were armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun.
The men arrived at an Israeli military position in the morning, sparking an exchange of fire that lasted about 20 minutes, after which the gunmen were killed by Israeli troops. The army said its forces prevented the men from advancing further, where the attack could have caused civilian casualties.
Prime Minister That of Benjamin Netanyahu The office later said it had ordered security forces to immediately seal off Hebron and prepare for a complete closure of the West Bank, starting Friday.
During a visit to the site of the attack on Friday, the prime minister said Israel would respond with a massive counterterrorism operation in the Hebron neighborhood where the gunmen lived.
“We will evacuate the residents, we will go house by house, we will also remove weapons there, and all terrorist infrastructure will be dealt with and destroyed,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli voters will decide next Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu another mandate – or usher in a new era of Israeli politics. The election comes three years after attacks by Hamas against Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
The Israeli government has warned of possible attacks from the country’s “enemies” in the run-up to the elections.
Netanyahu holds emergency meeting
Netanyahu then met with his security cabinet and officials from key military and security agencies in an emergency meeting, accusing Hamas of being responsible for Friday’s attack.
“Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination,” he said, without elaborating on the implications of the planned attack.
“I commend them for their actions and wish our injured a speedy recovery,” he added.
Earlier today, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his extremist viewssaid the attack shows that Israel must restrict the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank.
“The lives of the people of Judea and Samaria, the lives of the settlers, the lives of the soldiers, the lives of the police, the lives of our fighters are a million times more important than freedom of movement,” he said, using an Israeli reference to the West Bank.
Dozens arrested in West Bank security operations
After Friday’s shooting, the military said Israeli soldiers and security and intelligence agencies carried out dozens of operations in the West Bank and apprehended dozens of people, including those affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups.
He also said he located weapons, including M16 rifles and submachine guns.
Eyal Zamir, Israeli army chief of staff, said a “large quantity of ammunition was found” in a vehicle used by the gunmen.
“These munitions were intended to be used as part of a larger-scale attack,” he added.
Palestinians’ lives ‘impossible,’ says US congressional candidate
Closures of the West Bank are becoming more and more frequent. It was the fourth time in the past month that Israel imposed restrictions across the territory, closing gates and checkpoints connecting Palestinian villages to main roads.
The territory’s roads remain open to Israeli drivers, including settlers, who can still pass through the area but could face delays.
Democratic candidate for US Congress Brad Landerwho was in the West Bank on Friday, said the Israeli army’s closure following the attack was an example of how Israel is imposing a system of apartheid on the Palestinians.
“This is part of the effort to take more control, to make life impossible for Palestinians,” said Lander, who was arrested by Israeli forces Wednesday, said in an interview.
Yishai Fleisher, an international spokesperson for the Hebron Jewish community and a political candidate for the far-right Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party, said Israel had the right to defend itself against a “hostile majority.”
“We are tired of the weapons, brainwashing and incitement to hatred that exist alongside it,” he said.
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