Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would launch a military operation in the occupied West Bank and impose a "full lockdown" there after a shooting attack killed two Israeli soldiers, The Washington Post reported on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.
According to the Post, the attack involved Palestinian gunmen who opened fire on Israelis, a detail also reported by The New York Times. CNN reported that Israel had begun demolitions in a West Bank city following the killings. NBC News and The Wall Street Journal both reported that Netanyahu called for the lockdown of the territory.
The reports describe a rapid escalation in the West Bank, where Israel has ordered sweeping restrictions and begun tearing down structures in the wake of the deadly shooting. The accounts from the outlets did not specify which city was affected by the demolitions or how extensive the operation would be.
The measures follow the deaths of the two soldiers in the gun attack, which officials attributed to Palestinian assailants, according to the Times. Further details on the circumstances of the shooting were not included in the reporting summarized here.
What to watch next: whether Israel details the scope and timing of the announced operation and lockdown, and how the restrictions affect movement across the West Bank in the coming days.
