The attack came as the military went on heightened alert ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election.
By JNS Staff
Five people were wounded, two seriously, in a terrorist shooting attack near the Yehuda Junction in the Hebron area of Judea on Friday morning.
Two Arab terrorists who opened fire were killed, the Israel Defense Forces said. Large numbers of IDF troops were dispatched to the scene following initial reports of the shooting, setting up roadblocks and launching a manhunt for the assailants.
The attack came as the military went on heightened alert ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election. The IDF has reinforced its forces in Judea and Samaria with an additional regular brigade as part of preparations for the election period.
The IDF imposed a closure on Hebron and cordoned off several surrounding villages following the attack as troops continued searches in the area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to impose a cordon on Hebron and a closure across Judea and Samaria at least until after the Oct. 27 elections.
‘You have nowhere to hide’
Netanyahu said he had instructed the IDF and security forces to immediately impose a cordon on Hebron and prepare for a full closure of Judea and Samaria beginning Friday.
“I commend our heroic soldiers who acted decisively and prevented a major attack, and I wish our wounded a speedy recovery,” Netanyahu said. “Our forces are operating with increased strength to thwart terrorism and are carrying out extensive waves of arrests.”
The prime minister vowed that Israel would pursue Hamas terrorists and those who send them “everywhere and at all times,” adding, “You have nowhere to hide.”
Zamir said a large quantity of ammunition was found in the terrorists’ vehicle, indicating that they had intended to carry out a larger-scale attack.
“This was a serious terrorist attack,” Zamir said. “The soldiers’ rapid response prevented an even more serious attack and further harm to civilians and security forces.”
The two terrorists, both 27-year-old Hebron residents, were killed by soldiers from the Home Front Command’s Ari Battalion. One of the attackers was believed to be affiliated with Hamas, according to Kan 11. The terrorists were armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun.
IDF ‘on highest state of alert’
Zamir held a multi-front situational assessment on Monday with senior commanders on the military’s preparations for the election.
“The chief of the General Staff emphasized that the IDF’s mission is to enable the democratic elections to take place safely and as scheduled,” the military said following the assessment.
Zamir stressed that the IDF “remains on the highest state of alert and will maintain a high level of vigilance and readiness across all fronts.”
Katz warned earlier this month that Israel had identified attempts by Iran and its proxies to carry out terrorist attacks aimed at influencing the results of the election.
“We must stand united and make clear that political disagreements will not undermine our collective resolve against our enemies,” Katz said at a ceremony in Binyamina on Oct. 13.
Katz said that the political echelon would work alongside the IDF and other security agencies to protect the country and that security decisions would be made “without regard to any other consideration.”
He warned that anyone attacking Israel before or after the election, or harming Israeli soldiers or civilians, would “pay the heaviest price.”
Netanyahu also told his Cabinet on Oct. 13 that Hamas would seek to challenge Israel ahead of the election.
“Precisely because Hamas is so weak, it will try to challenge us with the remainder of its forces ahead of the elections,” Netanyahu said. “We are ready for this. First of all, we will thwart such attempts. And, in any case, we will respond to them with tremendous force if they make this mistake.”
‘We must not wait for an Oct. 7 in Judea and Samaria’
Otzma Yehudit Party chairman and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Friday’s attack was a warning that Israel needed to take stronger action in Judea and Samaria.
“The terrible attack happening right now is a bloody, harsh and painful reminder of the price of the conceptzia,” Ben-Gvir said, using the Hebrew term for the mistaken assumptions blamed for Israel’s failure to anticipate the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
“We must not wait for an Oct. 7 in Judea and Samaria. The next war will break out there. We have to act before it’s too late,” he said.
Ben-Gvir called for the Palestinian Authority to be “dismantled and demilitarized” and its terrorist infrastructure eliminated, adding, “The blood of our soldiers is not cheap.”
