Netanyahu orders complete closure of occupied West Bank after attack on Israelis

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the "total" and indefinite closure of the West Bank starting this Friday after a shooting attack perpetrated by Palestinians against Israelis near Hebron, located in the south of this occupied territory, the president's office reported.

"I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and security forces to immediately proceed to surround the city of Hebron and prepare for a complete closure of the entire region of Judea and Samaria (biblical names for the West Bank), effective today," Netanyahu said in a statement published on his channels.

The statement does not specify how long the closure will last, so its impact on the displacement of the Palestinian population is still unclear.

The shooting occurred this morning at the Judea Crossing, near Hebron.

According to an Israeli military source consulted by EFE, the attackers arrived armed with an M16 rifle and a pistol, with which they opened fire on several Israelis at the scene. Israeli soldiers killed two of them, and the Army, according to its spokesmen, continues the search for possible suspects.

Israeli emergency services treated five injured people: two in critical condition, one with moderate injuries and two others with minor injuries, transferred to Jerusalem hospitals.

In his note, Netanyahu praised the Israeli soldiers who intervened to stop the attack and announced the reinforcement of security operations and new arrests throughout the occupied West Bank.

"We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who send them: anywhere, anytime. They have nowhere to hide," he added.

In a subsequent message, the Israeli Army reported that its soldiers and Border Police officers had begun offensive operations in the cordoned-off city of Hebron and other areas of the West Bank.

"Currently, the forces operate in the homes of terrorists and other suspects," says this military statement.

Shortly after news of the attack became known, which occurred in the final stretch of the campaign for the national elections scheduled for next Tuesday, the Likud party, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that the president ordered the cancellation of all political events of this formation scheduled for this morning.