Five Israelis wounded, two suspected Palestinian attackers killed at Hebron checkpoint
Five Israelis were wounded and two suspected Palestinian attackers were killed by Israeli forces in a shooting at a military checkpoint near Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The incident comes four days before Israel's general election.
A shooting at a military checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank has left five Israelis wounded, Israeli officials say. Israeli security forces killed two suspected Palestinian attackers. The incident comes four days before Israel's general election and could affect the security situation in the region.
Unverified footage shared on social media shows an intense gun battle between soldiers and the gunmen.
Ammunition and a possible larger plan
The Israeli military said it found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle. It believes the gunmen had meant to carry out a much larger attack on the nearby Route 35, but unexpectedly ran into the checkpoint and opened fire there instead.
Political and security impact
The attack comes at a time of high tension in the West Bank, with extremist Jewish settlers targeting Palestinians during the annual olive harvest.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has built his election campaign on promising security, said he had told the military to prepare for a full lockdown of the West Bank, starting later on Friday. Israeli media had already reported that the West Bank was expected to be locked down for the election on Monday and Tuesday.
Netanyahu added that his Likud party would cancel its campaign events for the morning.
