West Bank Security: Netanyahu Orders Hebron Cordon and Evacuations

Residents of a specific neighborhood in Hebron are being moved out of their homes this weekend. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a cordon around the city on Friday. The directive came after a shooting killed two Israeli soldiers.

The two gunmen opened fire at a junction near Hebron. Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem died in the attack. Three other soldiers sustained light wounds. Military forces killed the attackers at the scene. The army found an M16 rifle and a handgun in the shooters' vehicle. Officials stated the large quantity of weapons and ammunition suggested a plan to attack civilians.

Netanyahu announced that troops would evacuate the area where the gunmen lived. He said the military would search the area house to house for weapons. "Our first step will be to demolish this site and completely transform it," Netanyahu said. The city of Hebron has a population of more than 200,000 people.

The prime minister described the shooters as Hamas terrorists. Hamas called the attack a heroic response to ongoing crimes. The group did not claim direct responsibility for the shooting. It urged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to target Israeli soldiers and civilians. The Israeli military began offensive counterterrorism operations in the Hebron area. Soldiers entered the homes of the attackers and other suspects.

Around 70 wanted Palestinians were arrested in West Bank operations over the past week. Netanyahu said a wider campaign would follow the initial cordon. He stated the Israel Defense Forces would dismantle the terror infrastructure in the neighborhoods from which the attackers emerged. He added that Israel is prepared for an extensive operation in Judea and Samaria.

Israel holds elections on Tuesday. Netanyahu has made national security a central theme of his bid for another term. He characterized the shooting as an attempt to influence the vote. His Likud party said he convened senior security chiefs on Friday. All campaign events for the rest of that day were canceled.

The attack followed a recent surge in violence in the West Bank. It also occurred after Brad Lander, a New York Democratic candidate for Congress, was briefly detained by Israeli forces. Lander was helping Palestinian farmers during the annual olive harvest this week.