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Two Israeli soldiers killed in attack by suspected Palestinian gunmen in West Bank - Published Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in a shooting by two suspected Palestinian attackers in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military says. Three other Israelis were wounded in the attack before the gunmen were shot dead at a checkpoint at an entrance to the city of Hebron, officials say. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would "destroy" the Hebron neighbourhood that the two attackers originated from, and that Israel was ready for "extensive action" in the West Bank. The attack comes at a time of high tensions, with extremist Jewish settlers targeting Palestinians during the annual olive harvest, and Israel's general election taking place in four days time. Footage verified by the BBC shows an intense gun battle between soldiers and the gunmen. Unverified CCTV footage shows two gunmen exit a car armed with what appears to be a handgun and an assault rifle and start firing on soldiers at the checkpoint, before coming under return fire. The attack has already begun to influence the ongoing election campaign, with Netanyahu - who has built his campaign on the promise of security - saying that his Likud party would cancel campaign events which had been set for Friday morning. Speaking from the scene of the attack, Netanyahu said that the military would "demolish this place and completely transform it," referring to the Hebron neighbourhood where the attackers originated from. It is common for Israeli forces to demolish the homes of Palestinians who are suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis - a practice Israeli rights groups have criticised as "collective punishment". Netanyahu also said he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank in decades - though did not say when it could be carried out. Netanyahu's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Israel to launch a campaign in the West Bank "exactly like in Gaza or Lebanon," while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for Israel to dismantle the Palestinian Authority. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused opposition leaders of undermining the government by criticising Netanyahu's warnings of an attack ahead of the election, saying they would be "responsible" for any future attack on the country. Opposition chiefs, including frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, offered their condolences to the families of the killed troops and praised those who killed the attackers. The Israeli military said it had found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle, and that they believe the gunmen had intended to carry out a much larger attack on the nearby Route 35, but ran into the checkpoint - so instead decided to open fire there. At least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to the UN. Four Israelis, both security forces and civilians, have been killed by Palestinians there over the same period, the UN says - not including those killed in Friday's attack. The West Bank was already expected to be placed under lockdown for the election on Monday and Tuesday, according to Israeli media. Related topics - Published1 day ago
document fetched 2026-10-24 02:55 · canonical https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq4g1p974wxko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss