Israel began demolishing buildings and forcing residents to evacuate a neighborhood in the occupied West Bank on Friday, hours after two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint, killing two soldiers.
Three more soldiers were lightly wounded in the attack in the city of Hebron, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The attack came just four days before Israel holds elections for the first time since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, in a crucial test for Netanyahu, who has sought to portray himself as a security hardliner.
The IDF said after the attack it was imposing “a full siege” on the city of Hebron and Netanyahu said he had ordered a full closure of the West Bank starting Friday.
Hours later, Netanyahu appeared to scale back plans for a full closure of the territory, saying he would consider “a cordon” around the cities of Hebron and Halhul that may extend to other areas.
Netanyahu also said the military would forcefully evacuate the area of the attack and “transform it completely,” employing the plan used in the Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Al-Far’a refugee camps in early 2025, which led to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians and the evacuation of entire neighborhoods.
Israeli authorities launched a several-days-long counterterrorism operation in the Hebron area, the military and Israeli Security Agency (ISA) said in a joint announcement.
“The forces have begun conducting precise, targeted and thorough searches throughout the area to locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructure and weapons, while questioning suspects,” the statement said, adding that the operation is confined to the area from where the gunmen operated.
The IDF and ISA said residents living in the area will be able to leave through three designated exit points and will be subject to questioning and security screening. Those who “raise suspicion” will be referred to security forces for further questioning.
The military and ISA added that the operation is a continuation of counterterrorism measures being taken since the morning, including “mapping the terrorists’ residences, imposing a cordon on the areas of Hebron and Halhul, establishing roadblocks, and conducting counterterrorism activities in areas throughout the sector.”
The statement also said “illegal structures that could pose a security threat” in the area are being demolished.
Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem condemned the plan to “forcibly displace Palestinian residents” from the Hebron neighborhood.
“Israel is announcing its next crimes in advance,” the group’s executive director Yuli Novak said. “Netanyahu and (Israeli defense minister, Israel) Katz have declared their intention to empty a Palestinian neighborhood in Hebron and repeat the mass displacement and destruction inflicted on the northern West Bank refugee camps.”
By Friday afternoon, Israeli forces had started demolitions in the Farsh al-Hawa area of Hebron. In video obtained by CNN, an Israeli soldier tells residents of a housing complex: “You have five minutes to evacuate.”
“That is exactly what we will do here, in a neighborhood in Hebron from which the terrorists came. We will evacuate the residents, go house to house, remove weapons found there, and address and destroy all terrorist infrastructure,” Netanyahu said.
Forces continued searches across the area for anyone else who may be connected to the attack. Both gunmen were shot and killed earlier Friday, the IDF said.
Videos from the scene depict a firefight between the Palestinian gunmen and Israeli forces that lasted at least several minutes with repeated bursts of gunfire ringing out. In one Reuters video, an Israeli responder yells that the shooting has been going on for at least 20 minutes and they were struggling to remove the wounded from the scene.
The IDF said it located a vehicle used by the gunmen to carry out the attack, which was filled with “a large quantity” of ammunition. “This was a serious terror attack,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir following a situation assessment. “The fighters’ rapid action prevented an even more serious attack and further harm to civilians and security forces.” He said the ammunition in the car was intended to be used “to carry out an attack on a much larger scale.”
Zamir said the IDF would also carry out further arrests of suspects and increase intelligence operations in the area.
“We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who sent them, wherever they are and at all times,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Ammar Awad/Reuters
Hamas praised the attack in a statement but did not claim responsibility.
“Together with all the people of Israel, I pray for the full and speedy recovery of those wounded in the attack,” said Netanyahu’s main rival, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, said in a statement on X.
This story has been updated with the latest developments.
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report.
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