Oct 23 – Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others lightly wounded in a shooting attack near Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to the Israeli military. The two suspected Palestinian gunmen involved in the incident were also killed after an exchange of fire with Israeli troops.
The attack has intensified security concerns across the territory and added to political tensions ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election scheduled for Tuesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised a broad military response in the neighborhood where the suspects lived, while senior members of his government have called for tougher measures against Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority.
The military identified the soldiers killed as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20. Three other Israeli personnel sustained minor injuries during the incident near Yehuda Junction, outside Hebron, a major Palestinian city in the southern West Bank.
According to the military, the two suspects arrived at an Israeli military position on Friday morning carrying an M16 rifle and a handgun. Their arrival triggered a firefight that lasted approximately 20 minutes, ending with both men dead.
The military said its forces had stopped the suspects from advancing toward Israeli civilians, describing the incident as an attempted attack against civilians. The circumstances surrounding the encounter were likely to draw further attention as Israel prepared for an election dominated by security concerns, the war in Gaza and the country’s broader regional challenges.
Netanyahu Orders Hebron Lockdown and House-to-House Searches
Netanyahu visited the scene following the attack and directed security forces to establish a cordon around Hebron. His office also instructed officials to prepare for a comprehensive closure of the West Bank beginning Friday, a measure expected to affect movement between Palestinian communities and major roads.
The Israeli prime minister announced plans for a large-scale counterterrorism operation in the Hebron neighborhood where the suspected attackers lived. He said residents would be evacuated and security forces would search homes, seize weapons and dismantle infrastructure identified as connected to militant activity.
“We will evacuate the residents, we will go house-by-house, we will also remove the weapons there, and all the terror infrastructure will be dealt with and destroyed,” Netanyahu said.
Later on Friday, the Israeli military announced that its troops had begun conducting searches in the area from which the suspects had operated. The operation was described as precise and extensive, with officials indicating that it would continue for several days.
Under the restrictions announced by the military, residents in the designated area would be permitted to leave only through three specified exit points. Those leaving would be subject to questioning and security screening, according to the military’s statement.
The army also said it had begun demolishing infrastructure it considered a security threat. Its forces continued conducting operations elsewhere in the West Bank as part of the broader response.
The military did not provide a complete account of how many residents would be affected by the restrictions or how long the wider movement controls would remain in place.
Netanyahu subsequently convened his Security Cabinet and senior military and security officials to discuss the attack and the response. He blamed Hamas for the incident, although the information provided about the two suspected gunmen did not establish a direct operational connection between them and the Palestinian militant group.
Praising the troops who responded to the shooting, Netanyahu said they had acted with courage and determination. He also expressed his wishes for the recovery of those wounded.
The timing of the attack has placed additional pressure on Israel’s political leadership. Voters are due to decide on Tuesday whether Netanyahu should receive another term or whether the country should enter a different political period, nearly three years after Hamas-led attacks triggered the war in Gaza.
Israeli authorities have warned of possible attacks by the country’s adversaries in the days leading up to the election. Friday’s incident is therefore likely to reinforce the prominence of national security in the final days of campaigning.
Far-Right Ministers Demand Tougher Measures Against Palestinians
The attack prompted calls from senior members of Netanyahu’s government for a more extensive military campaign in the West Bank.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician known for his hard-line positions on Palestinians, argued that Israel should impose stricter restrictions on Palestinian movement. He and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also called for the military to take control of the West Bank from the Palestinian Authority.
Neither minister presented evidence linking the Palestinian Authority to the attack. The Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank under arrangements established through previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
Smotrich called for a military campaign to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, collect weapons and eliminate militants. In a social media post, he compared the proposed approach with Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
His position was followed by demolition activity around the attack site. Within hours of the shooting, the Israeli military began demolishing Palestinian-owned buildings in the surrounding area on Smotrich’s orders.
In a video that appeared to show him at a demolition site, the finance minister described the measures as an effort to establish deterrence and impose a price for the attack. He also claimed that the buildings scheduled for demolition had been constructed illegally.
The demolitions have raised questions about the impact of Israel’s planning and permitting system on Palestinian communities. Critics argue that obtaining construction permits from Israeli authorities is extremely difficult for Palestinians, leaving some residents vulnerable to demolition orders.
Following the shooting, Israeli troops and security and intelligence agencies also carried out dozens of operations across the West Bank. The military said the operations resulted in the detention of dozens of people, including individuals it described as affiliated with Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group.
Israeli forces also reported locating weapons, including M16 rifles and submachine guns. The military did not provide a full breakdown of those detained or specify the evidence against each individual.
The security measures come amid increasingly frequent restrictions on movement throughout the territory. Friday marked the fourth time in the previous month that Israel had imposed wider restrictions across the West Bank, according to the reported account of the measures.
Gates and checkpoints connecting Palestinian villages with major roads were closed, limiting residents’ ability to travel between communities. Israeli drivers, including settlers living in the West Bank, were still able to use the roads, although delays remained possible.
Brad Lander, a Democratic congressional candidate in the United States who was visiting the West Bank on Friday, criticized the Israeli response. Lander, who had been detained by Israeli forces on Wednesday, said the restrictions and military operations reflected a broader effort to tighten Israeli control over Palestinian life.
He described the measures as part of an effort to make Palestinian life increasingly difficult. His comments reflected wider criticism of Israeli policies in the occupied territory, particularly restrictions on movement and the consequences of military operations for civilians.
Yishai Fleisher, an international spokesperson for Hebron’s Jewish community and a political candidate for the far-right Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party, defended the need for strong security measures. He said Israel had to protect itself against what he characterized as a hostile majority and pointed to concerns about weapons, incitement and hostility in nearby Palestinian communities.
The competing positions illustrate the deep divisions surrounding security policy in the West Bank. Israeli officials have emphasized preventing further attacks, while critics have warned that broad closures, demolitions and restrictions could impose significant costs on Palestinian civilians.