Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a blockade of the city of Hebron and preparations for a complete lockdown of the occupied West Bank after a gun attack that injured five people. The decision comes just days before Israel's parliamentary elections on October 27.
Netanyahu's office said security forces had been instructed to immediately restrict access to Hebron and prepare to close off the entire West Bank. The measure was due to begin on Friday, according to the Associated Press.
Two alleged attackers killed
The Israeli army said its soldiers shot dead two men it said carried out the attack near the Yehuda Junction. The army said the two were armed with an M16 assault rifle and a pistol and that a "terrorist attack against Israeli civilians" had been prevented.
The military did not identify the men killed or say what the alleged target of the attack was. Checkpoints have been set up in the area and restrictions have been imposed on movement in Palestinian communities.
According to Israeli emergency services, five people were transported to hospitals in Israel. Among the injured were two men in their 20s with gunshot wounds to their legs. One was unconscious and in serious condition.
“We arrived at the scene of a serious incident while gunfire was still going on in the area,“ said rescuer Zuriel Edri.Measures ahead of parliamentary vote
The attack came four days before Israeli elections, in which voters will decide whether to give Netanyahu a new term or support political change. The government has warned of possible attacks by “enemies” of the country on the eve of the vote.
The far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said that the attack near Hebron showed the need to restrict the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank.
“The lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria, of the settlers, of the soldiers, of the police and of our fighters are a million times more important than freedom of movement,“ Ben-Gvir said.The authorities said that an investigation was underway. Earlier, Netanyahu warned, without providing evidence, that “Hamas“ could launch an attack on Israel in order to influence the election results.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com