Five wounded in West Bank checkpoint shooting; Netanyahu cancels events, orders Hebron cordon
HEBRON: The Hebron checkpoint shooting wounded at least five Israelis on Friday and triggered a shootout that left two Palestinians dead, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel political events days ahead of elections.
An AFP journalist who witnessed the firefight saw two Palestinian men in casual attire, armed with a handgun and an automatic rifle, exchanging fire with Israeli forces at a checkpoint near the Palestinian city of Hebron.
The journalist reported that Israeli forces eventually shot and killed the attackers.
The Israeli military said soldiers had rushed to the Judea Junction area, also known as the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, after the early-morning shooting attack. “Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers eliminated two terrorists and continue searches in the area,” it said in a statement.
Hebron checkpoint shooting: the casualties
The initial shooting wounded five people, two of whom were in critical condition, said Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical rescue service. One of the victims was a man in his 20s in “very serious condition” with gunshot wounds.
The IDF said searches were continuing in the area.
Netanyahu claimed Israel had prevented a “major attack” after soldiers killed the two armed Palestinians. “I commend our heroic fighters, who acted resolutely and prevented a major terrorist attack, and wish our wounded a speedy recovery,” he said in a statement.
He added that he had instructed the military to “impose a cordon on the city of Hebron and to prepare for a full closure of the entire West Bank starting today”.
Netanyahu, running for a new term in elections on Tuesday, called for all political meetings to be cancelled on Friday because of the attack.
The election backdrop
The timing matters. Israel goes to the polls on Tuesday, and security has become the defining issue of the campaign. Netanyahu’s main rival, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, praised the response by troops. “Like all Israelis, I pray for the complete and quick recovery of the injured,” he said.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has been rising in the polls, called for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to be dismantled because of the attack. “The Palestinian Authority must be dismantled and demilitarized, and its terror infrastructure wiped out completely,” he said in a statement.
No evidence suggests that the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was connected to Friday’s attack.
The incident comes as tensions soar in the West Bank, including over attacks by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian olive harvesters, days ahead of the vote.
According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed 1,113 Palestinians in the territory since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli figures show at least 49 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in attacks or during Israeli military operations during the same period.
Pakistan has consistently called for self-determination for both Kashmir and Palestine. Islamabad recently urged the UN to deliver on that front, and the human cost in Gaza — where nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or maimed, according to UN Women — continues to shape the regional debate.
JI staged a massive Gaza march in Karachi earlier this month to mark the third anniversary of the war, and Israel’s death penalty law for Palestinians has drawn protests.
Sources: Dawn reported the attack; Arab News Pakistan carried an AFP-based account.
FAQ
What happened at the Hebron checkpoint?
Two Palestinian men armed with a handgun and an automatic rifle exchanged fire with Israeli forces at the Judea Junction (Farsh al-Hawa) checkpoint near Hebron. Five Israelis were wounded, two critically, and the two attackers were shot dead.
Why did Netanyahu cancel his political events?
Netanyahu, who is running for a new term in Tuesday’s elections, called for all political meetings to be cancelled on Friday after the attack. He also ordered the military to impose a cordon on Hebron and prepare for a full closure of the West Bank.
Was the Palestinian Authority linked to the attack?
No evidence suggests the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority was connected to Friday’s attack, despite National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling for it to be dismantled.
