Two soldiers killed in Hebron shooting, Netanyahu orders West Bank sweep

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major military operation in the West Bank on Friday following a shooting that killed two soldiers. The attack occurred at a junction near Hebron, where two Palestinian men opened fire before Israeli forces killed them at the scene.

The army identified the dead soldiers as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem. Three other troops sustained light injuries. Military officials stated that investigators found a large quantity of weapons and ammunition in the gunmen's vehicle. The shooters used an M16 rifle and a handgun during the attack.

Netanyahu instructed troops to cordon off the Hebron neighborhood where the attackers lived. He ordered residents evacuated to prepare for a house-to-house search for weapons. Hebron has more than 200,000 inhabitants. Netanyahu said the first step would be to demolish the specific site where the attack originated.

The prime minister described the gunmen as Hamas terrorists. Hamas, which Israel and the United States have long designated a terrorist group, called the attack heroic. The group described it as a legitimate response to ongoing crimes against Palestinians. Hamas did not claim responsibility for the specific shooting but urged armed Palestinians in the West Bank to attack Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Israeli forces began offensive counterterrorism operations in the Hebron area. Soldiers operated inside the homes of the attackers and other suspects. The military reported arresting around 70 wanted Palestinians in West Bank operations over the past week. Netanyahu said the army would enter neighborhoods from which terrorists emerged to dismantle the terror infrastructure.

The escalation occurs days before Israel holds elections on Tuesday. Netanyahu has made national security a central theme of his campaign for another term. He characterized the shooting as an attempt to influence the vote, recalling a warning issued weeks earlier that enemies were preparing attacks to sway the election. His Likud party said he convened senior security chiefs on Friday and canceled all campaign events for the rest of the day.

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