Hebron:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an "immediate closure" of the city of Hebron and directed security forces to prepare for a "full lockdown" across the occupied West Bank. This decision follows a recent shooting incident that resulted in the wounding of five Israeli occupiers and the killing of two Palestinians by Israeli army fire near Halhul, in the Hebron district of the southern West Bank.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Netanyahu conducted a security assessment with senior defense and security officials, including the military chief of staff and the heads of Shin Bet and the National Security Council. Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly approved a security cordon around Hebron and nearby villages following the shooting.

On the ground, eyewitnesses informed Anadolu that Israeli forces have closed all entrances to Hebron with iron gates, effectively placing the city under siege. The Israeli army has also blocked entrances to towns and residential communities with earth mounds and military checkpoints, restricting movement between them. Additionally, Israeli forces raided the outskirts of Hebron and several nearby towns, conducting searches in shops and seizing surveillance camera footage.

These developments occur ahead of Israel's legislative elections scheduled for October 27. The West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, has seen an escalation in Israeli military operations and occupier violence since the onset of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The operations have included killings and arrests of Palestinians, demolitions of homes, burning of mosques and vehicles, destruction of agricultural lands, and the displacement of Palestinian communities, alongside illegal settlement expansion.