Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
An immediate lockdown of the city of Hebron and a "total lockdown" of the entire West Bank following the armed attack launched this morning near Hebron. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered this following a firefight that lasted over 20 minutes near the Judea Crossing, which left five people injured, two of them seriously, while the IDF killed two Palestinians suspected of carrying out the attack.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised the attack, calling it a “heroic act,” but did not claim responsibility.
The two attackers, who Israel believes were linked to Hamas, were killed after a firefight with the IDF that lasted about twenty minutes. The Israel Defense Forces believe the suspects, both 27-year-old Palestinians from Hebron, were planning a larger attack ahead of the October 27 elections.
Eli Bin, director general of Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency service, said the victims suffered serious gunshot wounds and were treated by rescue workers and military forces who responded to the scene.
The wounded were taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hadasa Hospital in Jerusalem. In a video filmed during the attack, a witness can be heard saying that "the terrorists and our forces are exchanging fire, and we have not yet been able to evacuate the wounded," adding that the shooting continued for over 20 minutes.
“I have just completed an assessment of the situation with the Defense Minister, the Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, and the commander of the Central Command,” Netanyahu said, praising “our heroic fighters who acted decisively and prevented a large-scale attack, and I wish a speedy recovery to our wounded.”
Netanyahu then announced that he had “instructed the Israel Defense Forces and security forces to impose an immediate blockade on the city of Hebron and to prepare for a total blockade of all of Judea and Samaria starting today,” referring to the West Bank.
After the attack, Netanyahu also canceled all of today's scheduled election events and issued a warning to Hamas: "Our forces are operating with increased force to counter terrorism and are conducting large-scale arrests. We will hunt down Hamas terrorists and their masterminds everywhere and at all times. You have nowhere to hide."
The Israeli army announced it had launched "counterterrorism operations" in the West Bank. After a brief manhunt, the IDF killed two Palestinians suspected of carrying out the attack. "Soldiers are currently operating in the homes of terrorists and other suspects," the army said in a statement, reporting operations near the site of the attack, in an area that has been "locked down," and in "other areas" of the Palestinian territory.
"Today's serious attack is a painful, difficult, and bloody reminder of the cost of this concept: we must not wait for October 7th in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). The next conflict will erupt there; we must act before it's too late. The Palestinian Authority must be dismantled, disarmed, and terrorist infrastructure must be completely eliminated. The blood of our soldiers is not expendable," declared Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
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