Israel launches West Bank operation after attack kills two soldiers

Palestinian gunmen attacked a checkpoint outside Hebron in the occupied West Bank, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding several others. Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a lockdown of the region and announced a military operation in response.

The Israel Defense Forces said the operation would be targeted and limited in scope, focused on the Hebron area from which the attackers had emerged. According to the military, the operation would last several days and include searches of buildings and demolitions. Residents in areas where forces were operating would be allowed to leave through three designated exit points.

Netanyahu announced that a siege would be placed on Hebron and the neighbouring city of Halhul. According to reports, he stated that residents of the neighbourhoods where the gunmen lived would be forced out, and he promised mass demolitions of homes. The operation was also described as targeting what officials called terrorist infrastructure.

The attack occurred just days before Israeli elections scheduled for Tuesday. Security has been a key focus of the election campaign. Netanyahu is locked in a tight race to retain his position as prime minister, having campaigned on promises to keep Israelis safe. He and his right-wing allies visited the scene of the attack to pledge a harder line response.

Hamas praised the attack as a legitimate response to Israeli actions against Palestinians. The incident sparked calls from Israeli officials for military action against what they described as terrorist threats.

One source reported that the planned operation threatened to be on a scale unseen since Israel captured the Palestinian territory in 1967, though the military characterised it as limited in scope.