Overview
- Israeli soldiers shot dead two men who opened fire at the Judea crossing near Hebron on Friday and emergency teams evacuated five wounded to Jerusalem hospitals.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Hebron to be cordoned and instructed security forces to prepare a total closure of the West Bank effective immediately, though he did not specify how long it would last.
- The Israel Defense Forces and Border Police launched offensive operations and house searches in Hebron and other West Bank areas and announced plans for wider detentions.
- Hard-line security ministers framed the order as necessary for public safety during the final days of the national election campaign, and Netanyahu praised the troops while pledging to pursue Hamas and its backers.
- The unspecified, open-ended closure could sharply restrict daily movement for Palestinians, disrupt access to work and medical care, and raise the risk of further arrests and local escalation.