Israeli soldiers shot and killed two gunmen who the military said had launched an attack near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday.
At least five people were injured, including some critically.
The deadly shooting is likely to further add to political tensions and mounting security concerns ahead of Israel's key parliamentary election next week .
The army said that the gunmen carried an M16 rifle and a handgun, and the two men were both killed.
It did not elaborate on the target of their alleged attack. It also did not mention the identities of those injured.
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A few hours later, Israel ordered the army to prepare for a full closure of the West Bank. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it instructed security forces to immediately cordon off the city of Hebron and prepare to fully close all of the West Bank, starting Friday.
Israeli voters will decide next Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu yet another term as prime minister — or usher in a new era of Israeli politics.
Following the shooting, Netanyahu held an emergency meeting of his security cabinet and officials from top military and security agencies.
"Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination," he said, without elaborating on what the planned attack entailed.
"I commend them for their actions and wish our wounded a speedy recovery,” he added, but did not say if the wounded were soldiers or civilians.
Earlier Friday, Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for extremist views, said that the attack shows that Israel needs to restrict the Palestinians’ freedom of movement in the West Bank.
“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,” he said, using an Israeli reference to the West Bank.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, but in recent years the number of illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory has soared. Excluding East Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, home to around three million Palestinians.
According to a tally from Agence France-Presse news agency, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,097 Palestinians since the start of the Gaza war.
Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has also surged recently, with at least 170 attacks since 27 September, around the start of the annual olive harvest, according to Yesh Din, an Israeli settlements monitoring group.
Closures of the West Bank, such as the one ordered Friday, are becoming more common. It’s the fourth time in the past month that Israel has imposed restrictions across the area, shutting gates and checkpoints connecting Palestinian villages to major roads.
Meanwhile, Israeli roads in the territory remain open to Israeli drivers, including illegal settlers, who can still travel through the area but may face delays.
