# IDF Launches Major Hebron Operation After Attack Kills 2 Soldiers, Wounds 3

> Two gunmen opened fire on a West Bank checkpoint before troops killed them in a 20-minute gunfight; the military says the raid, expected to last several days, is 'focused and limited' to where the attackers operated.

- Source: Israel Politics Post
- Canonical URL: https://israelpoliticspost.com/article/idf-hebron-operation-soldiers-killed-shooting-attack
- Author: Israel Politics Post Staff
- Section: Security & Diplomacy
- Published: 2026-10-23T23:40:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T23:40:00.000Z
- Tags: Hebron, West Bank, IDF, terror attack

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Two gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint at an exit from Hebron in the West Bank on October 23, killing two soldiers and wounding three others before troops killed both attackers in a gunfight that lasted about 20 minutes, according to a report by The Times of Israel. The military identified the soldiers killed as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem.

The IDF said it believes the gunmen had planned a larger attack, and launched a major operation in the area the same day involving the Shin Bet, Border Police and Civil Administration alongside ground troops. The military described the raid as "focused and limited to the area from which the terrorists operated" and said it would likely continue for several days.

Forces are conducting what the IDF called "targeted and thorough searches" to locate weapons caches and terror infrastructure, and have detained dozens of suspects for questioning. The military also measured the attackers' homes for potential demolition, imposed closures on Hebron and nearby Palestinian towns, and has already demolished several structures it deemed security risks.

The attack lands in the final days before Israel's October 27 election, adding a fresh security dimension to a campaign already dominated by questions over coalition-building, the economy and the ongoing fallout from the Gaza war.

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Originally published by Israel Politics Post. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://israelpoliticspost.com/article/idf-hebron-operation-soldiers-killed-shooting-attack.