Two Israeli soldiers killed in attack by suspected Palestinian gunmen in West Bank

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in a shooting by two suspected Palestinian attackers in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military says.

Three Israelis were wounded in the attack before the gunmen were shot dead, officials say. It happened at a military checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Hebron.

In response, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to prepare for a full lockdown of the West Bank, beginning later on Friday.

The attack comes at a time of high tensions, with extremist Jewish settlers targeting Palestinians during the annual olive harvest, and Israel's general election taking place in four days time.

Footage verified by the BBC shows an intense gun battle between soldiers and the gunmen.

The Israeli military said it had found a large quantity of ammunition in the attackers' vehicle, and that they believe the gunmen had intended to carry out a much larger attack on the nearby Route 35, but ran into the checkpoint - so instead decided to open fire there.

Unverified CCTV footage shows two gunmen exit a car armed with what appears to be a handgun and an assault rifle and start firing on soldiers at the checkpoint, before coming under return fire.

The attack has already begun to influence the ongoing election campaign, with Netanyahu - who has built his campaign on the promise of security - saying that his Likud party would cancel campaign events which had been set for Friday morning.

He also visited the site of the attack on Friday afternoon, saying Israel is ready for "extensive action" in the West Bank.

His far-right coalition partner Bezalel Smotrich called for Israel to launch a campaign in the West Bank "exactly like in Gaza or Lebanon," while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for Israel to dismantle the Palestinian Authority.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused opposition leaders of undermining the government by criticising Netanyahu's warnings of an attack ahead of the election, saying they would be "responsible" for any future attack on the country.

Opposition chiefs, including frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, offered their condolences to those injured and praised the troops who killed the attackers.

The Israeli military said it had begun raids on the homes of the attackers, while Smotrich said he had ordered the demolition of several Palestinian buildings adjacent to the site of the attack.

It is common practice for Israeli forces to demolish the homes of Palestinians who are suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis.

The West Bank was already expected to be placed under lockdown for the election on Monday and Tuesday, according to Israeli media.

At least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to the UN.

Four Israelis, both security forces and civilians, have been killed by Palestinians there over the same period, the UN says.

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