Five Israelis wounded and two attackers killed near Hebron
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline
Gunfire at a checkpoint near Hebron in the occupied West Bank left five Israelis wounded and killed two suspected attackers, according to Israeli authorities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to prepare a complete closure of the West Bank from Friday, the BBC reports.
Gunfire at a military checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron in the occupied West Bank left five Israelis wounded; Israeli forces killed two suspected Palestinian attackers, according to Israeli officials cited by the BBC. Two of the wounded are in critical condition, according to Israel’s ambulance service.
The Israeli military says it found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers’ vehicle. It believes they had intended to carry out a larger attack on Route 35 but opened fire at the checkpoint after arriving there. Israeli forces raided the homes of the two men, while far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered the demolition of several Palestinian buildings near the scene of the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to prepare a complete closure of the West Bank from Friday evening. A closure had already been planned for Monday and Tuesday for the Israeli elections. Netanyahu also announced the cancellation of his Likud party’s campaign events for the morning.
The attack comes amid tensions during the annual olive harvest, as extremist Jewish settlers target Palestinians. Since the start of the year, at least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank, compared with four Israelis killed by Palestinians, according to the UN. The attack and its aftermath also led Netanyahu to cancel Likud campaign rallies.
