Israeli Forces Kill Two Palestinian Gunmen Following West Bank Shooting
The attack and subsequent West Bank lockdown come four days before a national election testing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.
Israeli soldiers shot and killed two armed Palestinian men on Friday morning after a shooting attack near Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The clash occurred at the Judea Junction along Route 35, also known as the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint.
Emergency service Magen David Adom said the shooting wounded at least five Israelis, leaving two in critical condition and one seriously hurt. A report from Jordan News placed the number of injured Israelis at six.
Israeli military authorities identified the dead attackers as Hamouda Jua'ba and Firas Jua'ba of Hebron. Authorities said the men arrived in a car carrying Israeli license plates and were armed with an M16 rifle, a handgun, and large amounts of ammunition. Soldiers from the Ari Battalion of the Search and Rescue Brigade shot the men.
Following the shooting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to cordon off Hebron immediately and prepare a full closure of the West Bank. Israeli forces blocked surrounding Palestinian villages, closed checkpoints, and started search and arrest operations. The military deployed more battalions under Central Command to enforce the restrictions.
Netanyahu said that Hamas planned the attack to kill civilians, adding that soldiers prevented a catastrophe. He stated that troops would pursue the planners without granting safe haven. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the quick response of soldiers prevented a wider assault, citing the ammunition inside the vehicle.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the shooting showed Israel must restrict Palestinian movement to protect settlers, soldiers, and police. Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, a primary election rival to Netanyahu, agreed soldiers prevented a disaster. However, Eisenkot criticized officials for deflecting blame and politicizing security concerns.
The incident occurred four days before the national parliamentary election on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The vote acts as a referendum on Netanyahu, three years after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the Gaza war. Israeli intelligence officials had previously warned that militant groups might attempt to disrupt the election.
The lockdown is the fourth broad restriction imposed on West Bank towns in the past month. The measures coincide with tensions surrounding the seasonal Palestinian olive harvest.
Shin Bet and military investigators are determining whether the two gunmen belonged to a wider cell. Netanyahu's Likud party canceled its campaign events for Friday, while voters prepare to cast ballots under heightened security on Tuesday.
