The Israeli military said it had launched a sweeping crackdown in the West Bank city of Hebron overnight after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers there and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate days before a pivotal election.
Residents of Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied territory, said on Saturday that Israeli troops had erected roadblocks and closed the main entrances and exits to the city.
Israeli forces have started demolishing structures close to the scene of the attack, the military said, adding that the operation in the area would last for several days. Residents would be allowed to leave through designated checkpoints. An Israeli military spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on whether they would be allowed to return home.
The worsening violence in the West Bank came days before an important Israeli election, the first since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, that ignited the devastating war in Gaza. Mr. Netanyahu is fighting for his political life and has trailed his leading opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, in opinion polls throughout the campaign.
On Friday, two Palestinians opened fire on Israeli troops near a checkpoint in Hebron, killing two soldiers before being shot dead, according to the Israeli military. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli military chief of staff, said in a statement that the soldiers had prevented “an even more serious attack.” The military said a large cache of ammunition was found in a vehicle used by the attackers.
Mr. Netanyahu visited the scene of the attacks on Friday and vowed a broad crackdown in the West Bank, including by imposing a security cordon around Hebron and a lockdown of the territory. Israeli forces would also search the homes of residents, he added.
“We are acting, first of all, to destroy this place, to utterly change it,” Mr. Netanyahu said.
Some Israeli analysts have expressed concern that the prime minister’s decision to start a major military operation might be influenced by the election. Mr. Netanyahu has sought to burnish his security credentials to Israeli voters rattled by three years of constant war.
It was unclear whether the shooters acted alone or on behalf of a Palestinian militant group. Hamas, the Palestinian armed group based in Gaza, praised the attack but stopped short of claiming responsibility for it.
The attacks took place against a backdrop of rising violence in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attacks. In recent weeks, extremist Jewish settlers have initiated dozens of attacks against Palestinians during the annual olive harvest, a cultural touchstone for many Palestinians. Masked Israelis have assaulted Palestinian olive gatherers, beating them with clubs and hurling stones.
Since early last year, the Israeli military has been conducting a wide crackdown, displacing tens of thousands of people and destroying roads and houses, in what it said was an effort to target militants.
Last month, an Israeli man was shot dead in the West Bank, according to the Israeli authorities, who said they had detained a Palestinian suspect in connection with the attack.
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