US officials condemn West Bank attacks as Netanyahu casts doubt on reports

▲ Escalating

Israel locks down West Bank and razes part of Hebron after attack killed two soldiers

On Saturday the Israeli army began a full lockdown and military operations across the occupied West Bank. This followed a Friday attack by two Palestinian gunmen on an army checkpoint near Hebron that killed two soldiers, after which Netanyahu vowed a major operation. Hebron's municipality says about 1,500 people were evicted from the Ein Deir Baha district and 35 hectares destroyed or marked for destruction.

• Netanyahu's office ordered the army to prepare a full West Bank closure on Friday. Soldiers shot and killed two men the military said carried out a "terror attack", and emergency services said five people were injured.
• Hebron, a city of 250,000, was sealed off. Netanyahu vowed 'to destroy this place', according to reports.
• The UN said it was extremely alarmed by the intensifying violence and the sweeping closures.
• The World Food Programme has halved food aid to displaced West Bank Palestinians, who face growing hardship.