Hebron Checkpoint Shooting: Two Israeli Soldiers Killed, Netanyahu Orders West Bank Lockdown Four Days Before Election
Two Israeli soldiers were killed on Friday when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron, just four days before Israel's general election. Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, died in the attack, while three other soldiers were lightly wounded. The Israeli military said troops returned fire and killed both attackers, who were armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas, calling the gunmen "Hamas terrorists," and said the attack was an attempt to influence Tuesday's vote. He ordered a cordon around Hebron and the evacuation of the neighborhood where the gunmen lived ahead of house-to-house weapons searches. Likud canceled all its campaign events for the day. Hamas praised the attack as "heroic" but stopped short of claiming responsibility.
The IDF said a large amount of ammunition was found in the attackers' vehicle, suggesting a bigger attack on civilians was planned. The army has arrested about 70 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank over the past week. Netanyahu made national security a central theme of his re-election campaign, and the shooting has pushed security fears to the top of the agenda with voting days away.
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