At least two Israeli soldiers have died and three others have been injured this Friday in a shooting attack in southern West Bank, according to Israel's emergency services. After the incident, the Army reported the death of two assailants and the imposition of a "cordon" around the city of Hebron.
The Israeli Armed Forces have confirmed in an official statement the death of Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23 years old, and Yuval Shai Svilem, 20 years old. "Both served in the 775th Battalion 'Ari', belonging to the Search and Rescue Brigade of the Home Front Command," the text states.
The other three injured are also soldiers from the same battalion and, for now, their medical condition is between mild and moderate, according to the Army itself. The military institution has added that the alleged attackers were "shot down" at the scene of the attack after an exchange of fire that lasted about 20 minutes.
The emergency service Magen David Adom (Red Star of David) had initially reported five injured, "including two in critical condition." All of them were transferred to the hospitals of Shaarei Zedek and Hadassah Ein Kerem.
Security sources cited by the newspaper 'The Times of Israel' have indicated that the attackers have been identified as Mohamad Yaaba and Firas Yaaba, both 27 years old and residents of Hebron. Both would be relatives, although the specific link between them has not yet been clarified.
The Israeli Army has stated that its troops have shot down two "terrorists" at the intersection of Route 35, near Hebron. It has also indicated that its forces have declared a "total cordon" around Hebron and its surroundings and have initiated searches "in the homes of the terrorists and other suspects."
The military institution has also recalled that in the last week it has arrested "more than 70 wanted persons" in operations in the West Bank, including individuals "affiliated with Hamas and the Palestinian Authority," and that during these operations dozens of weapons and four explosive devices have been seized.
The "closure" of Hebron has been ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has also demanded to prepare a "total closure" of the West Bank starting this Friday. In addition, he has assured that the "terrorists" of Hamas "have no place to hide."
For his part, the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, has described the day as a "difficult morning" and has reiterated his demand for the "dismantling" of the Palestinian Authority. "We cannot allow the existence of a 'terrorist state' in Judea and Samaria," he has stated, using the biblical term to refer to the West Bank.
"They must be dismantled. We must put an end to the shared circulation that both Jews and residents of the Palestinian Authority use. The freedom of movement of the residents of the Palestinian Authority is less important than our right to life," the far-right leader added in a message posted on social media.
Reactions from Hamas and Islamic Jihad
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which has not claimed responsibility for the attack, has described the assault as "a heroic and qualitative operation" that "demonstrates the will of the persevering people" and "is a clear message to the Zionist enemy," according to the Palestinian newspaper 'Filastin'.
"Our resistance will continue and will increase in strength and ferocity until the occupation is expelled from our land and our holy places," the organization has pointed out, emphasizing that the attack near Hebron "is a legitimate response to the crimes and brutal attacks" against the Palestinians.
"Our people, steadfast and determined, will not surrender or yield. They will continue on the path of resistance and rejection of occupation, injustice, and aggression," Hamas has stated, stressing that the Palestinians "will not lay down their arms until the aggression ceases and the occupation ends."
In this context, the group has urged the Palestinian population to "fully mobilize" and "set the land ablaze under the feet of the invaders and settlers who have sown chaos in the proud land of the West Bank." "We urge all those who carry arms, as well as our rebellious youth, to direct their bullets towards the chests of the occupiers," it has asserted.
In the same vein, the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, have called on Palestinians in the West Bank to "increase confrontation and directly combat the occupation forces and settler gangs through all available means." "The enemy only understands the language of force," they have reiterated.
The attack occurs in a context of increased aggression from settlers and incursions by the Israeli Army in the West Bank since the attacks of October 7, 2023. However, in the months prior to that year, the highest number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the Second Intifada, two decades ago, had already been recorded.