Israel ordered a cordon around the West Bank city of Hebron and prepared a full closure of the occupied territory on Friday after two Palestinian gunmen attacked an Israeli military position, killing two soldiers before both attackers were shot dead.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
The Israeli military said the attack took place near the Yehuda Junction outside Hebron in the early morning, and that three other soldiers were lightly wounded. The military identified the two dead soldiers as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20. The army said the two suspects, both Palestinians from Hebron, were armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun. Magen David Adom, Israel's primary emergency service, said it had responded to multiple casualties and treated at least five people, including two in critical condition. Reports differed on the number of wounded, with the New York Post and the BBC citing five and the Israeli military citing three soldiers lightly wounded in addition to the dead.2,3,4,7,8
The military said the men arrived at an Israeli position in the morning, triggering an exchange of fire lasting about 20 minutes, after which Israeli troops killed them. The army said it had prevented what it called a "terror attack against Israeli civilians." Army chief of staff Eyal Zamir said a "large quantity of ammunition was found" in the gunmen's vehicle. "This ammunition was intended to be used in a larger-scale attack," he said. The BBC reported, citing the Israeli military, that the gunmen had likely intended to attack nearby Route 35 but ran into the checkpoint and opened fire there. BBC footage verified by the broadcaster showed an intense gun battle between soldiers and the gunmen.3,4,7,8
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after an emergency meeting with his security cabinet and senior military and security officials that the attack was planned by Hamas, which he said was "planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians." He cited "large quantities of weapons and ammunition discovered" but did not provide further details. He did not say whether the injured included soldiers or civilians. The identities of the two gunmen were not immediately clear as of late Friday morning, according to NBC News. The New York Post reported, citing Kan 11, that one of the attackers was believed to be affiliated with Hamas.3,7,8
Netanyahu's office said it had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to impose a cordon on Hebron and to prepare for a full closure of the West Bank starting Friday. In a statement quoted by the New York Post, Netanyahu said, "I commend our heroic soldiers who acted decisively and prevented a major attack, and I wish our wounded a speedy recovery." He added, "Our forces are operating with increased strength to thwart terrorism and are carrying out extensive waves of arrests." The office gave no further details on the planned closure of the territory. Netanyahu also said Israel would pursue Hamas terrorists and those who send them "everywhere and at all times," adding, "You have nowhere to hide."3,5,6,8
Speaking at the scene, Netanyahu said the military would "demolish this place and completely transform it," referring to the Hebron neighbourhood the attackers were said to have come from, according to the BBC. Photographs from Hebron published by NBC News showed Israeli bulldozers demolishing at least one Palestinian building, and the BBC reported that diggers were seen demolishing Palestinian homes on Friday afternoon. Netanyahu said soldiers would go "house to house" in the areas the attackers were believed to be from and would evacuate residents. He said that "all the terror infrastructure will be dealt with and destroyed." NBC News reported that Netanyahu said Israel would consider "extending this model to other cities as well," and that he had said Israel was prepared for "a large-scale operation in Judea and Samaria," a name some Israelis use for the West Bank. The BBC reported that Netanyahu had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank in decades but did not say when it could be carried out. The BBC also reported that it is common for Israeli forces to demolish the homes of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks, a practice Israeli rights groups have criticised as collective punishment.1,3,4,7
The far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet offered a more expansive response. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on social media that "there is no alternative to a comprehensive military campaign in Judea and Samaria to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, collect the weapons, and eliminate the terrorists, exactly as we did in Gaza and Lebanon." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whom the AP described as known for extremist views, said the attack showed that Israel needs to restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement in the West Bank. The AP reported that there was no evidence on Friday that the Palestinian Authority had any ties to the gunmen.4,7
The army said soldiers and Israeli security and intelligence agencies had conducted dozens of operations in the West Bank after the shooting and had apprehended dozens of people, including people affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. It said it had located weapons, including M16 rifles and submachine guns. The AP reported that Israel had imposed restrictions across the West Bank four times in the past month, shutting gates and checkpoints that connect Palestinian villages to major roads.7
The attack comes days before a closely watched national election. Israeli voters will decide next Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu another term in office, and NBC News described the vote as largely viewed as a referendum on his leadership around the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks. The New York Post gave the election date as October 27. The BBC said Netanyahu had built his campaign on the promise of security and that his Likud party would cancel campaign events scheduled for Friday morning. NBC News reported that Netanyahu's government had repeatedly warned of potential attacks by the country's "enemies" ahead of the election without providing evidence.3,4,7,8
Opposition leaders offered condolences. The BBC reported that frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed condolences to the families of the killed soldiers and praised those who killed the attackers. Foreign Minister Israel Katz had earlier, on Thursday, accused opposition leaders of undermining the government by criticising Netanyahu's warnings of an attack ahead of the election, and said they would be "responsible" for any future attack on the country, the BBC reported.4
The wider context includes a recent rise in violence in the West Bank. NBC News reported a recent surge in Israeli settler violence and military activity centred on the start of the olive harvest season, with Palestinians, activists and American journalists among those attacked and detained. The BBC cited UN figures that at least 96 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, and that four Israelis, both security forces and civilians, had been killed by Palestinians there over the same period, not including those killed in Friday's attack. NBC News reported that Netanyahu had previously blamed "a handful of young juvenile delinquents" for instances of settler violence, and that on Friday he praised settlers as "heroic."3,4
The Israeli military has not said how long the closure of the West Bank will last. Netanyahu's office said the lockdown would begin on Friday, and the New York Post reported that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz had instructed the military chief to keep the closure in place at least until after the October 27 election. Netanyahu said that the military would continue its operations in Hebron, and the BBC reported that the scope of any larger West Bank operation remained undetermined.3,8,4
