In brief
A firefight at a Hebron checkpoint saw five Israeli soldiers wounded and two suspected Palestinian gunmen killed. Israeli forces discovered a large cache of ammunition in the attackers’ vehicle, hinting at a planned attack on Route 35 that was aborted at the checkpoint. The incident comes amid growing violence during the olive harvest and the week leading to Israel’s general election. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a West Bank lockdown and has announced Likud party event cancellations.
Five Israelis wounded and two suspected Palestinian attackers killed in West Bank shooting
Five Israelis have been wounded and two suspected Palestinian attackers killed by Israeli security forces following a shooting in the occupied West Bank, Israeli officials say.
Unverified footage shared on social media shows an intense gun battle between soldiers and the gunmen at the checkpoint. The attack comes at a time of high tensions in the West Bank, with extremist Jewish settlers targeting Palestinians during the annual olive harvest, and Israel's general election in four days.
The Israeli military said it had found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle. The military believes the gunmen intended to carry out a much larger attack on the nearby Route 35, but unexpectedly ran into the checkpoint and decided to open fire there instead.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has built his election campaign on promising security, said he had instructed the military to prepare for a full lockdown of the West Bank, to begin later on Friday. The West Bank was already expected to be placed under lockdown for the election on Monday and Tuesday, according to Israeli media. Netanyahu added that his Likud party would cancel campaign events for the morning.
