Two Israeli soldiers killed near Hebron; Israel imposes West Bank closure before election

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting attack near Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, on Friday, 23 October 2026. Israeli forces shot dead the two Palestinian gunmen who carried out the attack at or near a checkpoint in the Hebron area. The gunmen had a handgun and a rifle. The Israeli army described the rifle as an M16.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Hebron to be cordoned off and ordered a closure of the West Bank. He held an emergency meeting of his Security Cabinet. Israeli forces demolished at least one Palestinian building in Hebron. They also carried out raids across the West Bank and detained dozens of Palestinians. Late on Friday, the military said its Hebron operation was expected to last several days, alongside operations in dozens of other West Bank locations.

Netanyahu said he had reviewed plans for a large-scale West Bank operation. He described it as the largest in decades and did not set a date. Israel holds a general election on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. The attack came amid heightened tensions, including attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian olive harvesters.

According to Fox News, the Israel Defense Forces named the soldiers as Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, 20. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include the attackers' identities. Footage verified by the BBC shows two gunmen leaving a car and opening fire on soldiers at the checkpoint. Al Jazeera reported that families were given five minutes to collect their belongings before a three-storey building was demolished. NPR reported that this is the fourth time in the past month that Israel has imposed restrictions across the West Bank, and that Israeli roads there remain open to Israeli drivers, including settlers. According to the BBC, UN figures show at least 96 Palestinians and four Israelis killed in the West Bank this year, before Friday's attack.

Separately, Italy called for the release of five Italian women held by Israeli forces in the West Bank. The reports do not establish any link to the attack.

What is disputed

Accounts of the wounded differ. The BBC reports three other soldiers wounded, and NPR at least five people injured. The exact location also varies: The Hindu names the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, NPR cites the Yehuda Junction and Fox News the Judea Junction area. NPR reports that Netanyahu's office told forces to prepare a full closure, while Fox News, citing The Associated Press, reports that Israel ordered the army to prepare one. Anadolu and Al Jazeera report that a full lockdown was ordered, and The Hindu that Netanyahu ordered a lockdown.

What each side says

NPR quoted Netanyahu as saying Hamas was "planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians." The reports do not include evidence for this. According to The Hindu, Hamas called the attack a "heroic operation" but did not claim responsibility. The military said the gunmen intended a larger attack on Route 35. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a campaign "exactly like in Gaza or Lebanon," the BBC reported. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the "Palestinian Authority must be dismantled," according to The Hindu. Opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett offered condolences. Mustafa Barghouti told Al Jazeera the closure turns towns into "a small prison." According to CGTN, the Palestinian foreign ministry warned the measures could lead to further violence and collective punishment. The Israeli rights group B'Tselem urged pressure against what it called "plans for collective punishment," The Hindu reported.

Analysis

The attack and Israel's response come four days before a general election, placing security policy at the centre of the final campaign days. Several questions remain open. These include whether the operation Netanyahu described will go ahead, and on what timeline. They also include how long the closures will last and how they will affect Palestinian livelihoods, a concern the UN has raised. Calls from some ministers to dismantle the Palestinian Authority differ from opposition messaging, which focused on condolences. The Palestinian foreign ministry has warned the measures could lead to further violence, and B'Tselem has warned of acts that could constitute war crimes. Netanyahu has credited soldiers with having "prevented what could have been a major attack." How the operation unfolds is not yet certain.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.