Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint near Hebron on October 23, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding five Israelis before being shot dead by Israeli forces [4][33]; some reports citing the military put the number of wounded at three [20][32]. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an immediate cordon around Hebron and instructed the military to prepare a full closure of the West Bank, saying security forces had prevented a larger planned attack [1][7]. Netanyahu announced he had reviewed plans for a military operation in the West Bank on a scale not seen since 1967, saying "we will choose the timing of its implementation" [15]. The attack came four days before Israel's October 27 parliamentary elections [4][8].
Israeli officials framed the checkpoint shooting as a thwarted mass-casualty attack. The military said it found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle and believed the gunmen intended to carry out a much larger attack on Route 35 before encountering the checkpoint [4]. Army chief Eyal Zamir described the shooting as serious and said troops prevented an even more serious attack by killing the two attackers [28]. President Isaac Herzog condemned the attack and said Israel remains exposed to a persistent terror threat requiring decisive action [20]. Netanyahu said forces would evacuate residents, conduct house-to-house searches, seize weapons, and destroy what he called terrorist infrastructure in the attackers' neighborhood [6].
Far-right ministers pushed for a more comprehensive military response modeled on Gaza and Lebanon. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said there was "no other option but a comprehensive military campaign in Judea and Samaria to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, collect weapons and eliminate terrorists. Exactly like in Gaza and Lebanon" [6][25]. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded the Palestinian Authority be dismantled and demilitarized, warning that the next war would erupt in the West Bank and Israel should not wait for another October 7 [13][32]. Defence Minister Israel Katz said "the Jenin refugee camp model arrives in Hebron" and that neighborhoods would be evacuated "just like in Gaza, just like in Lebanon" [12]. Katz told the cabinet the IDF has been ordered to prepare for a scenario in which Palestinian Authority forces turn their guns on Israelis, which would trigger a pre-approved offensive [37].
Human rights organizations, UN bodies, and Palestinian institutions described the measures as collective punishment. B'Tselem said Israeli leaders were "publicly announcing plans for collective punishment and acts that could constitute war crimes" [6][25]. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the closures, home demolitions, and possible displacement, with spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric saying the closures "severely restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement, access to basic services and livelihoods" [21][26]. Mayy El Sheikh, spokesperson for the UN human rights office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, called the lockdown "yet another episode in a never-ending stream of suffocating measures" following a pattern of collective punishment [34]. Israel's high court issued a temporary order stopping demolitions after an urgent petition by human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh, who argued the demolitions copy illegal practices used in Gaza [12]. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the tightening of restrictions and warned the measures could lead to further violence [5].
Hamas praised the Hebron attack as a "heroic operation" but did not claim responsibility [13][18][20]. Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called the attack a response to Israeli military operations, settler violence, and the war in Gaza, and encouraged confrontations with soldiers and settlers [35].
Palestinian activists and several outlets framed the escalation as tied to the election campaign. Hebron human rights activist Hisham Sharabati said Palestinians see the attack being used in the Israeli election campaign to determine who will announce the most extreme measures against them [18]. Activist Issa Amro described Hebron as totally closed, with residents unable to leave their homes and soldiers searching houses [10]. Netanyahu canceled Likud campaign events following the attack [22][41]. An analysis of Israeli politics ahead of the election argued that even a change of government is unlikely to substantially improve Palestinians' situation because most opposition parties do not clearly support an independent Palestinian state [16].
The impact of such closures on Hebron's economy and civilian life has been documented by residents and local institutions. During an earlier closure of southern Hebron's industrial zone, Hebron Chamber of Commerce head Abed Idris rejected Israeli claims that the operation targets weapons and said the real objective is to push residents toward displacement, while farmer Ibrahim al-Turk described farms wasting about 70 tonnes of milk a day and losing more than 200,000 shekels daily [46]. The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque as "a flagrant and ongoing violation of the sanctity of Islamic holy sites and freedom of worship" [28]. European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said the EU condemns all acts of terrorism and violence against civilians but that freedom of movement in the West Bank must be preserved, and described Israeli settlements including the E1 plan as illegal under international law [44]. The Russian Representative Office at the Palestinian National Authority advised citizens that all checkpoints in the Hebron area had suspended work and that further restrictions may follow [45].
Netanyahu claimed Israel has intelligence indicating Iran plans to attack before the election [27]. Katz accused Iran, its proxies, and the Muslim Brotherhood of planning attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians [27]. Oral Toğa, a researcher at the Iran Studies Center, argued that concrete Israeli attack plans against Iran exist but their timetable is set by Washington, since only the US has the bunker-busting capability and political decision needed [14]. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barak said Israel is strategically heading toward `الانهيار من الداخل` (collapse from within) despite its technical superiority, urging alignment with Arab and regional states [3].
Israeli forces launched raids across at least 13 West Bank towns, arresting 36 Palestinians and ordering hundreds of families in Hebron's Ein Deir Baha area to leave [29][35]. The UN documented the closure as the fourth territory-wide restriction in a month and noted more than 160 settler attacks in the first two weeks of October [34]. Netanyahu said no date has been set for the broader operation but that it is "on the way" [12].