Israeli forces guard the area near a convoy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the day of visiting the site following a shooting in Hebron in the West Bank, Oct. 23, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed and three others lightly wounded in a Hamas terrorist attack in the West Bank on Friday, according to Israeli authorities, who said the gunmen sought to carry out a large-scale massacre.

The attack will likely fuel concerns over further attacks ahead of next week’s Israeli elections.

Israeli officials identified the fallen soldiers as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, who were killed when two Palestinian terrorists traveling in a car opened fire with an M4 rifle at soldiers stationed at the Yehuda Junction checkpoint near Hebron, in the southern West Bank.

Preliminary intelligence assessments indicate that the terrorists planned to move beyond the intersection and carry out a massacre along Route 35, a major civilian highway, with long-barreled weapons, a pistol, and a substantial supply of ammunition.

According to local media reports, the terrorists’ plans were disrupted after they encountered a large number of soldiers stationed at the Yehuda Junction checkpoint. After realizing they could not proceed, the two opened fire on the troops instead.

Once reinforcements arrived to support the soldiers, who were caught by surprise when the attack began, Israeli forces killed the two gunmen, identified as Hamouda and Firas Jua’ba — both 27-year-old residents of Hebron who were married and had two children each.

The three soldiers who were lightly wounded during the attack were evacuated to a hospital for treatment, though further details about their conditions were not immediately available.

Chief of the IDF Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth confirmed that “a grave terror attack against Israeli civilians was thwarted,” praising the “bravery of IDF soldiers” who confronted the attackers and prevented what intelligence assessments suggest could have been a far deadlier assault.

“Unfortunately, we paid a heavy price during the encounter, and two combat soldiers fell in battle. I wish to extend my condolences to their families,” Bluth said in a video statement from the scene near Hebron.

“The IDF is the protective shield of Israeli civilians,” he continued. “We will bring all terrorists to justice and dismantle terrorist infrastructure of all kinds.”

Shortly after the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a security cordon around Hebron and imposed restrictions blocking entry to and exit from the West Bank starting Friday morning, with the measures expected to remain in place through at least next week’s elections, adding that security forces would launch extensive arrest operations to apprehend suspected terrorists and thwart further attacks.

“We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who send them, wherever they are and at any time,” the Israeli leader said in a statement. “You have nowhere to hide.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
I have just concluded a security assessment with the Minister of Defense, the IDF Chief of Staff, the Director of the ISA, the National Security Advisor, and the Commander of the IDF Central Command.

It appears that Hamas terrorists were planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians, as evidenced by the large quantities of weapons and ammunition discovered. Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination. I commend them for their actions and wish our wounded a speedy recovery.

I have instructed the IDF and security forces to immediately cordon off the city of Hebron and take additional security measures to prevent terrorist attacks originating from Judea and Samaria.

Our forces are operating with reinforcements to thwart terrorism and are carrying out extensive waves of arrests.

We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who sent them, wherever they are and at all times.

You have nowhere to hide.

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 23, 2026

Israeli forces have now tightened security across the region, blocking roads, conducting widespread searches, and raising alert levels amid fears that the attack could signal a broader wave of terrorist activity.

Netanyahu also announced plans to expand an offensive military strategy previously used in refugee camps to the neighborhoods where the terrorists originated, with operations involving resident evacuations, house-to-house searches, and the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure.

“We are establishing a security cordon around Hebron and Halhul, and we will consider extending this approach to other cities as well,” the Israeli leader said. 

“The Defense Minister and I have also overseen preparations for an extensive military operation in Judea and Samaria, on a scale not seen since the Six-Day War. The IDF is ready to launch the operation. We will decide when the time is right, but it is coming,” he continued, using the ancient biblical and historical name for the West Bank preferred by Israel.

Israeli officials have repeatedly warned of a growing terrorist threat in the West Bank, citing Iranian-backed arms smuggling that could fuel an Oct. 7-style attack, as well as deepening Turkish involvement and Hamas efforts to expand terrorist infrastructure and orchestrate attacks across the territory.

Defense officials have pointed to a growing role by Iran, Turkey, and Hamas in financing, directing, and sustaining terrorism, while also leveraging Gaza-linked networks to expand coordination, incitement, and operational activity across the West Bank.

With Israeli communities in the West Bank steadily expanding, the local military command had been under significant strain, operating with 22 battalions while confronting a wide range of security challenges, including dismantling terrorist infrastructure, disrupting terrorist financing channels, locating weapons caches, protecting settlements, and stopping arms smuggling from Jordan. In July, Israel increased the number of battalions to 24-26, depending on the specific period. 

Israeli officials have previously warned that large-scale terrorist attacks targeting local communities could become a destabilizing flashpoint amid the wars in Gaza and Iran, particularly as the country approaches elections scheduled for Tuesday.

Exactly one month before Friday’s attack, reserve soldier Neriah Leiter, the son of Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, was injured in a car-ramming attack at the Bell checkpoint in the Binyamin region of the West Bank.

Leiter was seriously wounded after a terrorist rammed a vehicle into a police car where he and a policewoman were stationed during a joint volunteer operation. He was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem with a severe head injury and remains on life support, though his condition is currently reported to be stable.