NETANYAHU ORDERS WEST BANK CLOSURE AS ATTACK WOUNDS ISRAELIS BEFORE ELECTION

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an immediate closure of Hebron and preparations for a wider lockdown across the occupied West Bank after a shooting wounded five Israelis.

The attack occurred near Hebron on Friday, October 23, days before Israel’s scheduled election.

Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said two of the injured were in critical condition.

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian gunmen following an exchange of fire near a checkpoint. An AFP journalist at the scene reported seeing the men exchanging gunfire with troops.

After meeting security chiefs, Netanyahu said soldiers had prevented what could have become a larger attack. He instructed the military to cordon off Hebron and prepare for broader movement restrictions.

He also cancelled his Likud party’s political meetings scheduled for Friday.

The incident comes ahead of Tuesday’s election, in which Netanyahu is seeking another term as prime minister.

The immediate closure order concerned Hebron, while authorities were instructed to prepare for restrictions across the wider West Bank. Details of their duration and scope were not immediately clear.