Israel orders army to prepare for full closure of West Bank

Israel orders army to prepare for full closure of West Bank Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said the army has been ordered to fully close the West Bank, from Friday, following a deadly shooting - this comes just days before the Israeli elections Israel has ordered its army to prepare for a full closure of the West Bank, following a deadly shooting in the occupied territory. The Israeli army said it killed two gunmen and thwarted a "terror attack" that injured several people. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it instructed security forces to immediately cordon off the city of Hebron and prepare to fully close all of the West Bank, starting on Friday. This comes just days before the all-important general election in Israel, on Tuesday, which is the first since the war in Gaza started three years ago. To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed. Earlier, Israeli soldiers shot and killed two men while they claimed had launched an attack near the city of Hebron, in the occupied territory, on Friday morning. At least five people were injured, some critically. The army said it had prevented a "terror attack against Israeli civilians" and that the gunmen carried an M16 rifle and a handgun. It did not elaborate on the target of the alleged attack. There was no word on the identities of the two dead and those injured. The military subsequently set up roadblocks and closures in Palestinian towns in the area. Emergency responders said five people were injured and were being evacuated to hospitals in Israel. A statement from the responders said gunfire was still ongoing as they arrived at the scene of the attack near the Yehuda Junction on Friday morning. Tzuriel Edrim, with the response team, said: "We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area." An investigation is under way, authorities said. Two men in their 20s had gunshot wounds to their lower limbs, with one unconscious and seriously injured, the responders added. The West Bank closure announcement comes as Israeli voters decide next Tuesday whether to grant Mr Netanyahu yet another term as prime minister – or usher in a new era of Israeli politics. The election comes three years after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. Israel's government has warned of potential attacks by the country's "enemies" in the lead-up to the election. Israel's far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for extremist views, said that the Hebron attack shows that Israel needs to restrict the Palestinians' freedom of movement in the West Bank. Using an Israeli reference to the West Bank, he said: "The lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria, of the settlers, the lives of the soldiers, the lives of the police officers, the lives of our fighters are a million times more important than freedom of movement." Ahead of the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led attack in 2023 that triggered the war, Netanyahu said the Palestinian militant group could attack Israel in a bid to influence the outcome of the elections. He did not provide evidence to back up the claim.