Two Israeli soldiers died stopping attackers Netanyahu said were Hamas terrorists planning a major civilian attack, and he ordered the West Bank sealed through election day.
Heavily armed attackers opened fire near Yehuda Junction in the Hebron area of the West Bank around 7:30 a.m. Friday, sparking a 20-minute gun battle that killed two young Israeli soldiers before troops finished the fight.
Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, died in the exchange. Both attackers, 27-year-old Hebron residents armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun, were killed after Israeli forces rushed the scene and ran a manhunt. The military did not release the attackers’ names.
Post wires reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved fast. He convened an emergency security meeting, accused Hamas of planning the assault on Israeli civilians, and shut down the territory Israel calls Judea and Samaria.
Netanyahu said the pair “were planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians.” He framed the soldiers’ response as the only thing that stopped it.
In a statement Netanyahu posted on X, he wrote:
"Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination. I commend them for their actions and wish our wounded a speedy recovery,"
He vowed Israel would hunt Hamas terrorists and the people who send them “everywhere and at all times,” and added: “You have nowhere to hide.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz joined Netanyahu in ordering an immediate cordon around Hebron. They directed the military to prepare a full closure of Judea and Samaria beginning Friday and lasting at least through the Oct. 27 election.
Israel closed the West Bank on Friday. Officials had already warned of potential attacks during the election period and deployed an additional regular IDF brigade to the area before the shooting.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir pressed for tighter limits on Palestinian movement after the gun battle. He put the priority in blunt terms.
"The lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria, of the settlers, the lives of the soldiers, the lives of the police officers, the lives of our fighters are a million times more important than freedom of movement,"
Israeli forces arrested dozens of suspects across West Bank operations the same day, the military said. Those held included people affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Troops also located weapons.
The attack lands while Israel heads toward elections and while President Trump has already thrown his weight behind Netanyahu. Trump has endorsed the Israeli leader as a “great warrior” fit to keep leading the country, a stance covered earlier as the campaign season heated up.
Readers tracking Trump’s hard line on foreign threats and political fights will recognize the same direct style he has shown when he brands critics a disgrace and warns of real consequences.
That approach also surfaced when Trump brought home an American from a Russian prison with no prisoner swap, pressure first, apologies later.
It matches the tone of tense moments such as when he cut off a reporter in the Oval Office, and the public-facing schedule that has allies like Danica Patrick joining him on Air Force One for midterm events.
Friday’s firefight followed the pattern Israeli officials had flagged: election-season risk, armed cells, and a need for rapid force. Two soldiers paid with their lives. Two attackers died in the response. A wide closure and a wave of arrests followed within hours.
Hamas and its allies keep testing Israel’s resolve against civilians and the troops who guard them. Governments that answer with clear force and closed routes leave less room for the next plot to mature.