Daijiworld Media Network - Hebron

Hebron, Oct 24: The Israeli military has launched a “limited counterterrorism” operation in the Hebron area of the occupied West Bank following a shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded several others.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Friday that troops, along with other security forces, had begun targeted searches to locate and dismantle weapons and infrastructure allegedly linked to the attackers. Suspects are also being questioned as part of the operation.

In a post on X, the IDF said the operation was launched in response to the shooting attack in which two soldiers were killed and several others wounded. It added that the attackers had emerged from the Hebron area.

The military said residents in areas where its forces are operating would be allowed to leave through three designated exit points. Individuals identified as suspicious during security screening would be referred to security forces for further questioning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Hebron on Friday after ordering a “full lockdown” of the West Bank following the attack, which left five people wounded in total. According to Israeli authorities, the assault was carried out by suspected Hamas militants.

The incident comes just five days before Israel goes to the polls.

During his visit, Netanyahu said the attackers had attempted to harm Israeli citizens and soldiers ahead of the election, but Israeli troops had stopped them.

“We spoke a few weeks ago about our enemies' attempts to harm us, our citizens and our soldiers ahead of the elections. That is what they tried to do here. IDF soldiers stopped it with their bodies; some were wounded, and the soldiers not only stopped the terrorists but also fought back with courage and liquidated them,” he said.

Netanyahu also announced plans for a broader security operation in the neighbourhood from which the attackers had emerged. He said Israeli forces would remove residents, search homes and destroy weapons and what he described as terrorist infrastructure.

“We will first act to destroy this place and change it completely, but [we will] do something that has not been done until now. We are going to implement the successful and offensive model that we used in the refugee camps, which are actually terrorist strongholds. This is exactly what we will do here, inside the neighbourhood in Hebron from which the terrorists emerged. We will clear out the residents, go house to house, take out the weapons and all the infrastructure of terror, [and they] will be treated and destroyed,” Netanyahu said.

The IDF said two attackers involved in the shooting had been killed. Security forces are continuing their search for any additional suspects who may have participated in the attack.

The operation follows Netanyahu's order to cordon off Hebron and restrict movement into and out of the West Bank. The measures have been imposed amid heightened security concerns ahead of the Israeli election.