Israel imposes closures across West Bank city after two soldiers die in attacks

Israel imposed widespread closures and displaced people across the West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday following attacks by Palestinian gunmen on Friday that Israel said killed two of its soldiers.Taxis piled up behind gates controlled by Israel’s military outside Hebron waiting for Palestinians forced to cross on foot. All gates leading in and out of the city were impassable by car, according to Basma Radio, a crowdsourced Telegram channel Palestinians use to monitor checkpoints and road closures.Palestinian news outlet WAFA said on Saturday that Israeli troops forced dozens of residents out of their their homes in some neighbourhoods of Hebron and closed all entrances and roads leading into the city.Israeli flags hang from a house belonging to Palestinian residents during an Israeli army operation in Hebron on Saturday. Photograph: Mahmoud Illean/AP Israel’s army did not respond to questions about Saturday’s evacuations. READ MOREOn Friday, it said that in response to the killing of two soldiers and wounding of others, its forces had begun “conducting precise, targeted and thorough searches” in the area of Hebron from which the two gunmen had operated.Such closures in the West Bank have grown increasingly common, particularly around Hebron. They have disrupted Palestinians’ ability to travel to work, attend school and move between villages. – AP