The Israeli military has imposed a stringent lockdown across the West Bank following a deadly shooting attack that claimed the lives of two Israeli soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the closure of all border crossings and halted the movement of Palestinian workers into Israeli settlements, with limited exceptions for certain industrial zones and a small number of approved areas.

The decision, enacted over the weekend, affects approximately 9,000 Palestinians who hold permits to work in settlements and industrial zones, according to data from the previous year. The military clarified that a complete ban on entry and exit for Palestinian workers in the West Bank has been implemented based on recommendations from the security establishment.

This escalation follows an early Friday morning attack near Hebron, where two Palestinian assailants, Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba, both aged 27 and residents of the area, opened fire at an IDF checkpoint. The two militants were killed during the assault. Eyal Zamir, head of the IDF, reported that a significant quantity of ammunition was discovered in their vehicle, which was believed to be intended for a larger-scale operation.

In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an unprecedented military operation in the West Bank, describing it as the most extensive since the 1967 Six-Day War. Netanyahu stated that the IDF would carry out house-to-house searches in Hebron, evacuating residents as necessary, removing weapons caches, and dismantling terrorist infrastructure.

Over the weekend, the IDF launched a large-scale offensive targeting approximately 40 different areas and 400 locations throughout the West Bank. The operations led to the arrest of roughly 40 Palestinians, including members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as suspects involved in incitement, public disorder, and rock-throwing incidents.

In the northern West Bank, Israeli forces also dismantled memorials honoring militants involved in attacks against Israeli civilians and detained two Palestinians suspected of carrying out related terror activities near the village of Burin.

Israel Katz, the defense minister, told Israel’s public broadcaster Kan that the operations in Hebron had displaced around 2,000 Palestinians to date, as the military focuses on neutralizing threats and preventing further attacks in the region.