Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced an expanded counterterrorism campaign targeting a Hebron neighborhood identified as the origin of two Palestinian gunmen involved in a deadly shooting near Judea Junction in the southern West Bank on Friday, October 23. Netanyahu said Israeli forces would apply what he described as an “aggressive” operational model previously used in West Bank refugee camps, including evacuating residents, conducting house-to-house searches for weapons and destroying infrastructure identified as supporting terrorism. The announcement followed a gun battle in which Israeli troops killed the two attackers after they opened fire near a military checkpoint. Israeli authorities said ammunition found in the suspects’ vehicle suggested they may have intended to carry out a larger attack. The incident has prompted an intensified security response as Israel prepares for its October 27 parliamentary elections.

Netanyahu also announced a security cordon around Hebron and the nearby town of Halhul, while confirming that the military was preparing for the possibility of a much broader operation across Judea and Samaria, the Israeli government’s term for the West Bank. The proposed measures reflect an escalation in Israel’s campaign to locate weapons, disrupt militant networks and prevent further attacks, although the timing and full scope of any wider offensive have not been finalized. Defense Minister Israel Katz backed the planned measures, while Israeli security forces continued operations in the Hebron area following the shooting. The strategy is likely to have significant consequences for Palestinian residents, particularly those affected by evacuations, movement restrictions and searches of residential properties. With election day approaching and tensions already high, the coming days could bring further military activity and tighter security measures across the territory.