Two Palestinian gunmen killed after opening fire on soldiers near Hebron
Two suspected Palestinian attackers were killed by Israeli forces after a gun battle at a Hebron checkpoint, as Netanyahu orders a full lockdown of the West Bank
Five Israelis have been wounded and two suspected Palestinian attackers killed by Israeli security forces following a shooting in the occupied West Bank, Israeli officials say. Footage verified by the BBC shows an intense gun battle between soldiers and the gunmen at a military checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Hebron.
In response, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had ordered the military to prepare for a full lockdown of the West Bank beginning later on Friday. The attack comes at a time of high tension, with extremist Jewish settlers targeting Palestinians during the annual olive harvest and Israel's general election taking place in four days' time.
Two of the injured Israelis are in a critical condition, according to the country's ambulance service. The Israeli military said it had found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle and believed the gunmen had intended to carry out a much larger attack on the nearby Route 35, but ran into the checkpoint and instead decided to open fire there. Unverified CCTV footage shows two gunmen exiting a car armed with what appears to be a handgun and an assault rifle and opening fire on soldiers at the checkpoint, before coming under return fire.
The Israeli military said it had begun raids on the attackers' homes, while the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said he had ordered the demolition of several Palestinian buildings adjacent to the site. It is common practice for Israeli forces to demolish the homes of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis.
Netanyahu, who has built his election campaign on promising security for Israelis, said his Likud party would cancel campaign events for the morning. The West Bank was already expected to be placed under lockdown for the election on Monday and Tuesday, according to Israeli media.
At least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to the United Nations. Four Israelis, both security personnel and civilians, have been killed by Palestinians there over the same period, the UN says.