NAIROBI, Kenya – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the closure of Hebron and preparations for a wider lockdown across the occupied West Bank after Israeli forces killed two Palestinians accused of carrying out a shooting attack that left at least five people injured.
The security measures announced on Friday, October 23, come four days before Israel’s October 27 election, in which Netanyahu is seeking another term amid heightened security concerns and mounting scrutiny over his government’s handling of the conflict.
According to the Associated Press, Israeli soldiers killed the two men near Yehuda Junction, close to Hebron, after a shooting that left five people wounded, including two who were seriously injured. Israeli authorities said troops had also established roadblocks and imposed closures in Palestinian towns in the surrounding area.
Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to impose a closure on Hebron and prepare for a full lockdown across the West Bank.
The identities of the two Palestinians killed were not immediately established in the initial reports. The Israeli military said they were responsible for the attack, while emergency responders reported treating the wounded at the scene.
Election security puts West Bank restrictions in focus
The order comes as security has become a major issue ahead of Tuesday’s election, with Netanyahu campaigning on his government’s handling of threats against Israelis.
The latest shooting adds to tensions in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli military operations, restrictions on Palestinian movement and violence involving Israeli settlers have intensified in recent weeks.
The timing is politically significant, with the vote widely viewed as a test of Netanyahu’s leadership following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and the wars and security crises that followed.
However, the immediate security rationale for the closure remains tied to the shooting and the Israeli authorities’ response. The available reports do not establish that the election itself prompted the decision.
Olive harvest violence adds to tensions
The lockdown comes as Palestinian farmers face renewed attacks and access restrictions during the annual olive harvest, a critical source of income for many families across the West Bank.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded at least 160 settler attacks linked to the olive harvest during the first two weeks of October. The incidents involved casualties or property damage, with the UN reporting that some occurred under the protection of, or with the participation of, Israeli forces.
The UN has also reported attacks involving live ammunition, arson, damage to olive trees, theft of harvested olives and destruction of agricultural equipment. Thousands of Palestinian farmers have struggled to reach their groves because of movement restrictions.
The violence has drawn international attention after attacks on people accompanying Palestinian farmers, including a Washington Post photojournalist and European diplomats, according to recent reporting.
The olive harvest has become a recurring flashpoint in the West Bank, where Palestinian communities depend on the crop for their livelihoods and regard their olive groves as closely tied to their connection to the land.
Wider restrictions could disrupt Palestinian movement
A full lockdown across the West Bank would extend the impact beyond Hebron, potentially affecting movement between Palestinian towns and villages, access to workplaces and essential services, and farmers’ ability to reach agricultural land.
