Israel seals West Bank crossings for elections after Hebron attack kills two soldiers

Israel has closed West Bank crossings and restricted movement ahead of Tuesday's elections, following a military operation triggered by a gun attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others in Hebron on Friday. The operation has displaced over 2,200 people in Hebron, including nearly 200 children, with all city entrances and exits sealed, according to Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari. Israeli forces arrested 40 Palestinians allegedly linked to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad across 400 locations, and barred most Palestinian workers from entering settlements until after the vote. The election is seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security policies, with six Israelis and 112 Palestinians killed in West Bank violence this year. Netanyahu, endorsed by President Trump, vowed a forceful response, while about 3 million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied territory.