Netanyahu Orders Hebron Demolitions After Checkpoint Shootout Kills Two Soldiers

Two Israeli soldiers were shot dead at a checkpoint outside Hebron on Thursday, triggering an immediate demolition order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The attack also wounded three other members of the security forces. Both Palestinian gunmen involved in the shooting were killed during the exchange of fire.

Video footage confirmed by the BBC shows the sequence of events. Two men exit a vehicle armed with a handgun and an assault rifle. They open fire on soldiers stationed at the checkpoint before returning fire kills them. The Israeli military stated that it discovered a large quantity of ammunition inside the attackers' car. Officials believe the gunmen intended to strike the nearby Route 35 but diverted their attack to the checkpoint upon encountering the soldiers.

Netanyahu addressed the public from the scene of the shooting. He declared that the military would "demolish this place and completely transform it." This directive referred to the specific neighborhood in Hebron where the attackers originated. The Prime Minister added that Israel was prepared for "extensive action" in the occupied West Bank. He compared the planned operations to previous campaigns in West Bank refugee camps, which resulted in the demolition of residential buildings and the displacement of thousands of residents.

The Prime Minister also revealed that he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank in decades. He did not specify a timeline for this major deployment. Hebron has approximately 200,000 residents, and the nearby city of Halhul has a similar population. Netanyahu ordered military cordons to be imposed around both cities to secure the area.

The incident has already impacted the ongoing election campaign, with Israel voting in four days. Netanyahu has centered his campaign on security promises. His Likud party announced it would cancel campaign events planned for Friday morning. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a campaign in the West Bank that mirrors operations in Gaza or Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.

Political tensions were visible before the shooting as well. Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused opposition leaders of undermining the government by criticizing Netanyahu’s prior warnings of an attack. Katz stated that opposition figures would be responsible for any future strikes. Opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett offered condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers. They also praised the troops who neutralized the gunmen.

The UN reports that at least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year. Over the same period, four Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the territory, excluding those killed in Thursday's checkpoint ambush. The attack occurred during a period of heightened tension, with extremist Jewish settlers targeting Palestinians during the annual olive harvest.