The Israeli military began demolishing buildings in Hebron on Friday after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others at a military checkpoint. Following the shooting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a cordon around Hebron and the neighboring city of Halhul and stated that the military would evacuate and destroy the neighborhood where the attackers lived. The two gunmen were shot dead by Israeli forces during an exchange of fire at the scene.
The incident occurred four days before Israel’s general election on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Tensions in the occupied West Bank have been elevated during the annual olive harvest, marked by reported attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinians and diplomats. According to United Nations figures, at least 96 Palestinians and four Israelis—excluding Friday’s casualties—have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported finding a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle, suggesting plans for a larger attack on nearby Route 35. Following the shooting, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a comprehensive military campaign in the West Bank and the demolition of structures adjacent to the attack site, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for dismantling the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu reviewed plans for what he described as the largest West Bank military operation in decades. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem criticized the planned evacuations and demolitions as a "crime" and a repeat of mass displacements seen in northern West Bank refugee camps earlier in 2025.
For the Israeli public, the attack has immediate political implications. Prime Minister Netanyahu cancelled Likud party campaign events scheduled for Friday morning, while opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett offered condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. The event serves as a final test for Netanyahu’s security-focused platform just days before a vote that polls suggest is a close race between pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs.
The escalation sets a precedent for potential large-scale military action in the West Bank, with some cabinet ministers calling for operations similar in scale to those in Gaza or Lebanon. While the IDF has already begun house-to-house searches for additional suspects and increased intelligence operations, a timeline for the "largest military operation in decades" mentioned by Netanyahu has not been disclosed. The general election remains scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, which will determine if the current government maintains its mandate.