Today, Friday (October 23, 2026), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the imposition of a “complete closure” on the West Bank, where the army began operations, after “five Israelis were injured” near the city of Hebron in an attack carried out by two armed Palestinians who were then killed in an exchange of fire with soldiers.
The Israeli army later announced that two of its soldiers were killed as a result of the attack.
This comes days before the Israeli legislative elections scheduled for next Tuesday. Netanyahu, who is waging an intense battle to win a new term, said that Israeli forces prevented a "large-scale attack" in the West Bank, noting that the attackers appeared to be carrying a large amount of ammunition in their vehicle.
An Agence France-Presse journalist witnessed the clash, when two men in civilian clothes, one carrying a pistol and the other an automatic rifle, were exchanging fire with Israeli forces at the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint near the Palestinian city of Hebron. Israeli forces shot and killed the attackers. The reporter saw their bodies lying on the ground next to a gas station, while Israeli soldiers were patrolling the place.
The Israeli army stated that its soldiers rushed to the area following a shooting that occurred in the early hours. He reported in a statement “the elimination of two saboteurs” and “combing operations.”
The Israeli Magen David Adom ambulance service said that the initial shooting resulted in five people being injured, two of whom were in critical condition.
Holding Hamas responsible for the attack
Netanyahu subsequently ordered the cancellation of all Likud Party electoral activities scheduled for Friday due to the attack. He said in a statement, "I salute the courage of our soldiers who acted decisively and prevented what could have been a major attack."
The Israeli Prime Minister held Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization in the European Union and the United States, responsible for the attack and said, "We will pursue Hamas terrorists, and those who send them, anywhere and at any time. You will not find a place to hide," according to the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post. While the army said in a statement that its soldiers are “currently carrying out operations inside the homes of terrorists and the homes of other suspects,” referring to operations taking place in the city of Hebron.
Praise for the army and a call for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority
Gadi Eisenkot, former army chief of staff and Netanyahu's most prominent election rival, praised the IDF's response. "Like all Israelis, I pray for a speedy and complete recovery for those injured," he said.
Meanwhile, the far-right Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. He said in a statement, "We should not wait for another October 7 to happen (in the West Bank)," adding, "There the next war will break out." He added, "We must act before it is too late. The Palestinian Authority must be dismantled and disarmed, and its terrorist infrastructure must be completely eliminated." He also called for a military campaign in the West Bank, "just as in Gaza." According to what was reported by The Times of Israel, on its website.
The far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, also called for a military campaign in the West Bank, “just as in Gaza.” “There is no other option but to launch a comprehensive military campaign... to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, collect weapons, and eliminate terrorists, just as in Gaza and Lebanon,” he said on the X platform. He added, "In the next government, this will be one of the first steps that we must demand and implement."
