Israel launches West Bank operation after Hebron shooting kills two soldiers

· Security · Israel · Palestine

Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three near a checkpoint outside Hebron on Friday morning, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order a full lockdown of the occupied West Bank and warn that an extensive military operation was "on the way". Israeli forces began demolishing Palestinian buildings in Hebron, and Netanyahu and ministers promised further demolitions and displacement. The escalation comes days before Israeli parliamentary elections, the first since the October 7 attacks, in which Netanyahu is seen as neck-and-neck with rival Gadi Eisenkot. Italy called for the release of five Italian women activists held by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

Why it matters：Escalation in the West Bank just before an election could harden Israeli politics and raise the cost of any future peace effort.

Key points

  • Two Israeli soldiers killed and three wounded near Hebron
  • Netanyahu ordered a full West Bank lockdown
  • Italy demanded the release of five detained Italian activists

Sources (original reporting)

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