Palestinian gunmen kill two Israeli soldiers; Israel threatens new West Bank offensive

Two Palestinian gunmen were killed by Israeli security forces following a shooting at a military checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to officials. Al-Monitor reports that the gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers before being shot dead by troops. Adom Online reports that five Israelis were wounded in the incident, with two in critical condition, and noted that the military found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle.

The military believes the gunmen intended to carry out a larger attack on Route 35 but instead opened fire at the checkpoint.

In response to the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the closure of part of the occupied West Bank. Adom Online states Netanyahu ordered the military to prepare for a full lockdown of the territory starting Friday, while CBS News reports he announced the closure of part of the West Bank after the military killed two alleged Palestinian gunmen. Al-Monitor reports that Netanyahu also threatened a major offensive in the territory just days before an Israeli election.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, CBS News, Middle East Eye, Adom Online — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.