Four killed in deadly attack prompts Israeli operation plans across West Bank

Gun battle near Hebron

The Israeli military said two armed Palestinians fired at soldiers at a temporary checkpoint outside Hebron. It said they had been unable to reach a nearby highway, where the military believed they planned to target civilians.

A preliminary military inquiry found that the firefight continued for more than 20 minutes. Five Israelis were wounded; two later died, along with the two Palestinians.

Plans for a wider operation

Netanyahu directed security forces to seal off Hebron and prepare to close the West Bank from Friday. During a visit to the city, he said troops would enter the attackers’ neighbourhood and remove its residents.

Netanyahu described plans to search homes, collect weapons and dismantle what he called terrorist infrastructure. He said the military would follow an approach previously applied in refugee camps in the northern West Bank.

Calls for tougher measures

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also has a role in the defence ministry, urged a campaign across the West Bank. He called for dismantling the Palestinian Authority, taking weapons and targeting militants, comparing the proposed approach to operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

Human rights groups cautioned that the government might use the attack to defend stricter policies toward Palestinians and strengthen its security credentials before voters go to the polls. Yariv Oppenheimer, formerly the director of Peace Now, told Al Jazeera that Palestinians face a worsening situation involving army incursions into cities and settler attacks.

Election amid rising tensions

The election is scheduled for Tuesday and will help determine whether Netanyahu wins another term. The vote comes three years after Hamas-led attacks on Israel set off the war in Gaza.