Israeli forces deploy at the scene following a fire exchange with two armed Palestinian men at the northern checkpoint of Hebron in the West Bank on Oct. 23, 2026. (Hazem Bader – AFP / Getty Images)
By V. Saxena October 23, 2026 at 6:09am
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the West Bank to be fully locked down on Friday after the Israel Defense Forces killed two Palestinian terrorists.
“I have instructed the IDF and security forces to immediately cordon off the city of Hebron and take additional security measures to prevent terrorist attacks originating from Judea and Samaria,” he announced in a post published to his official government account on X.
Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank.
Judea and Samaria are the official Israeli terms for the highly contested West Bank, with Judea covering cities like Hebron and Bethlehem, and Samaria covering cities like Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
I have just concluded a security assessment with the Minister of Defense, the IDF Chief of Staff, the Director of the ISA, the National Security Advisor, and the Commander of the IDF Central Command.It appears that Hamas terrorists were planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians, as evidenced by the large quantities of weapons and ammunition discovered…
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 23, 2026
In a separate post to his personal X account, Netanyahu wrote in Hebrew that the IDF would “immediately impose a closure on the city of Hebron” and “prepare for a full lockdown across all of Judea and Samaria starting today.”
According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli prime minister’s decision came after two Palestinian gunmen “arrived by car” at a checkpoint in Hebron early Friday morning and proceeded to open fire on IDF soldiers.
“The clash between the gunmen and IDF troops lasted over 20 minutes, during which five Israelis were wounded, including two critically and three in light-to-moderate condition,” The Times of Israel reported.
The two gunmen were reportedly flanked and killed by the deputy commander of the Ari Battalion, a company commander, and an officer of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 101st Battalion who’d been stationed nearby.
Warning: This video contains graphic content.
WATCH: Security cameras caught this morning’s shooting attack near Hebron. The attackers had an M-16 and a Handgun.
IDF troops killed both gunmen in an exchange of fire. https://t.co/oQnVOaYr06
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 23, 2026
After killing the two Palestinians, the IDF searched their vehicle and found a large stash of ammunition. The IDF now suspects the two had planned to carry out “a mass-casualty attack” on Israelis, according to The Times of Israel.
What’s your view on Israel’s lockdown of the West Bank after recent terror attacks?
The IDF and Shin Bet, which is Israel’s internal security and counterintelligence service, are now reportedly investigating whether the men acted alone or were part of a larger terror plot.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu posted a video to social media later Friday morning warning of extreme consequences for the residents of the West Bank:
ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו בחברון:
״ניישם את המודל ההתקפי והמוצלח שביצענו במחנות הפליטים בתוך הערים – צה״ל ייכנס לשכונות שמהן יצאו המחבלים, יפנה את התושבים, יעבור בית בית ויהרוס את תשתיות הטרור. אנחנו במוכנות לפעולה נרחבת ביו״ש״ https://t.co/T092uhcHY6— ראש ממשלת ישראל (@IsraeliPM_heb) October 23, 2026
“We will implement the offensive and successful model that we carried out in the refugee camps within the cities,” Netanyahu said, according to a translation from the social media site X.
“The IDF will enter the neighborhoods from which the terrorists emerged, will evacuate the residents, will go house to house and destroy the terror infrastructure,” he added. “We are ready for extensive action in Judea and Samaria.”
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V. Saxena is a seasoned conservative news writer and commentator with a decade of experience in the industry. When not at work, he can be found working out or tending to his popular bird feeder.
