Israel Launches West Bank Operation After Soldier Killings Ahead of Elections

Israel's military has initiated a significant operation in the occupied West Bank following the killing of two soldiers by gunmen, an event that occurred just days before the nation's general elections.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently engaged in a closely contested race, visited the scene of the attack and pledged a more aggressive stance against militancy in the West Bank. His right-wing allies have echoed this sentiment.

According to a joint statement from the Israeli military and the Shin Bet domestic security agency, security forces are targeting and questioning suspects in the Hebron area, from which the attackers reportedly originated. The operation aims to "locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructure" and "demolish illegal structures that could pose a security threat."

Late Friday, the statement indicated that "counterterrorism operations" were underway at dozens of locations and were expected to continue for several days. Hamas, while not claiming responsibility for the attack, praised it as a "heroic operation" and encouraged further actions.

The attack involved two Palestinian men armed with a handgun and an automatic rifle who engaged soldiers at the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint. Israeli forces ultimately shot and killed the assailants. Netanyahu credited the soldiers with preventing a larger potential attack and ordered a lockdown in the West Bank.

He stated that Israel was "considering a very extensive IDF operation in Judea and Samaria, such as has not been carried out since" the 1967 war. This would involve entering the neighborhood of origin, evacuating residents, and destroying "terrorist infrastructure," a model previously applied to refugee camps in the northern West Bank. Israeli rights group B'Tselem has urged international pressure to prevent "collective punishment and acts that could constitute war crimes."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through a spokesman, expressed concern over Israeli closures impacting Palestinian livelihoods and called for an end to violence from all sides. Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocated for a large-scale military offensive in the West Bank "exactly like in Gaza," stating that "if you mess with the Jews, you will pay a very painful price."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the dismantling of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, alleging it "incites murder, calls for murder, and works for murder." No evidence directly links the Palestinian Authority to Friday's attack.

Both Ben Gvir and Smotrich are prominent supporters of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. Netanyahu vowed to "pursue Hamas terrorists" everywhere, referencing the October 7, 2023, attack that resulted in 1,221 deaths in Israel.

Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival in the upcoming vote, offered prayers for the wounded soldiers. Tensions remain high in the West Bank, exacerbated by attacks from Israeli settlers against Palestinian olive harvesters. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,117 Palestinians, while 51 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli operations in the same period.