A shooting occurred near Judea Junction in the southern West Bank, leaving two Israeli Defense Forces soldiers dead and five Israelis wounded.
What happened
According to the Israel Defense Forces, two suspected gunmen were killed by the IDF after the shooting. The suspected gunmen were identified as Palestinians from Hebron, armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun.
The two Israeli soldiers who died in the attack were Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, 20. Both were part of the Ari Battalion, Search and Rescue Brigade.
Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency meeting of his Security Cabinet, stating that Hamas was planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians. Netanyahu also announced that a large-scale operation in the West Bank is to begin soon.
Israeli intelligence groups and security forces conducted dozens of raids throughout the West Bank, apprehending dozens of people, including those claimed to be members of Hamas and affiliated with Islamic Jihad. A large quantity of ammunition was found in a vehicle used by the perpetrators, which the Israeli army’s chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said was intended to be used in a larger-scale attack.
