Overview
- An attack near Hebron on Friday, Oct. 23, left two Israeli soldiers dead, three soldiers wounded and the two suspected Palestinian attackers shot dead.
- Israeli forces sealed Hebron and nearby Halhul and began house‑to‑house searches and large arrest operations in neighborhoods linked to the attackers.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu ordered security forces to prepare for a complete West Bank closure and said he and Defense Minister Israel Katz are considering a large‑scale military operation described as unprecedented since 1967.
- Right‑wing ministers called for dismantling the Palestinian Authority and demolitions near the attack site, and Hamas praised the operation without claiming responsibility.
- The move will deepen civilian disruption in the occupied West Bank, where raids and closures since October 2023 have coincided with rising Palestinian casualties and could further limit access to work and medical care.