Netanyahu orders preparations for West Bank lockdown after deadly Hebron attack
Two Israeli soldiers and two suspected Palestinian gunmen were killed Friday in a firefight at a military checkpoint near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. Three other Israelis were wounded.
The military said the attackers opened fire with a handgun and an assault rifle and were killed by soldiers. It said ammunition found in their vehicle suggested they had intended to carry out a larger attack on nearby Route 35 before encountering the checkpoint. Hamas praised the shooting but did not claim responsibility.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered security forces to cordon off Hebron immediately and prepare for a full closure of the West Bank beginning Friday. The military established roadblocks and said it had launched operations in the Hebron area, including raids on the suspected attackers’ homes and a wave of arrests. …