Overview
- Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire near a checkpoint by Hebron on Friday, October 23, and were shot dead by Israeli forces while emergency teams treated five wounded people who were taken to Jerusalem hospitals.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to seal Hebron and prepare for a total closure of the West Bank, saying forces should conduct broad security operations in response to the attack.
- The Israel Defense Forces began house-to-house searches, forced evacuations and demolitions in parts of Hebron and said further raids and arrests across the West Bank were planned or under way.
- The army later identified two Israeli soldiers killed in the incident and released their names, and officials said the attackers' vehicle held a large quantity of ammunition.
- The shooting has interrupted election campaigning, prompted hard-line ministers to call for tougher measures, drawn praise for the attack from Hamas without a clear operational claim, and renewed concerns over civilian hardship and legal disputes over demolitions and mass closures.