Five Wounded in West Bank Shooting Attack; Two Terrorists Killed

Five people were injured in a shooting attack near Hebron on Friday morning, with two in critical condition, two lightly wounded, and one moderately wounded. The injured were evacuated by ambulance to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. The IDF killed the two terrorists after a pursuit and imposed a curfew on several villages in the area. Magen David Adom Director-General Eli Bin stated that the injuries were severe, and that rescue forces and military personnel provided treatment. The IDF announced that a travel ban for military units was in effect from Thursday until Tuesday as part of preparations for election day. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir issued the order following consultations with senior military officials, emphasizing the IDF's mission to ensure the elections proceed safely and on time. Zamir also ordered increased presence of senior commanders in situation rooms and headquarters, and reinforced forces in the Central Command due to general regional tensions and concerns of election-related violence. IDF sources indicated the travel ban was a precautionary measure against potential attacks during the sensitive election period, rather than in response to specific intelligence. The article also references two previous incidents: in the previous month, reserve soldier Neriah Laiter, son of Israel's Ambassador to the US Yechiel Laiter, was seriously injured when a vehicle struck him at a checkpoint; the driver was shot and killed by security forces. The Palestinian Civil Affairs Ministry identified the driver as Mahmoud Muhammad Suleiman. Days earlier, on the eve of Yom Kippur, Natanel Shicron was killed in a shooting attack near the settlement of Neve Tzuf, reportedly by a Palestinian who fired from his car before being apprehended. Hamas praised the attack, attributing it to ongoing settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque and settler violence in the West Bank.