Two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen were killed in a shooting near Yehuda Junction outside Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday.
The army identified the soldiers as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20. Three others were lightly wounded.
The military said the suspects, both Palestinians from Hebron, arrived at an Israeli military position armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun. An exchange of fire lasted about 20 minutes before Israeli troops killed them.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered security forces to cordon off Hebron and prepare for a West Bank-wide closure. Visiting the site, he pledged a sweeping operation, including evacuations, house-to-house searches and the destruction of weapons and militant infrastructure.
Netanyahu later blamed Hamas during an emergency Security Cabinet meeting. The army reported dozens of arrests and weapons seizures, while its chief, Eyal Zamir, said a large quantity of ammunition was found in the suspects' vehicle.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for restrictions on Palestinian movement. US Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander criticised the closure, while a Hebron Jewish community spokesperson defended Israel's security measures.
The incident comes ahead of Tuesday's parliamentary election, amid warnings of possible attacks.