Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in West Bank Attack Near Hebron

Two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, Sergeant Major Ron Yonatan Reutman, 23, from Ashkelon, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Suilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon, were killed in a Palestinian terrorist attack near Hebron on Friday. Both were combat soldiers in the IDF's Extraction Brigade. The attack began around 7:00 AM when two terrorists opened fire on an IDF post on Route 35, near the settlement of Telem in the Hebron region. The ensuing firefight lasted approximately 20 minutes, during which Reutman and Suilem were killed, and three other soldiers were wounded. The two terrorists were eliminated. The IDF estimates the attackers were en route to carry out a larger-scale attack.

Following the incident, the IDF Chief of Staff praised the soldiers for engaging the terrorists, stating their "swift action prevented an even more severe attack and further harm to civilians and security forces." He also ordered reinforcements to be deployed in the IDF Central Command as needed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the attack site and announced a significant shift in operational policy against terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank.

Netanyahu declared his intention to implement an offensive model within Palestinian cities, similar to operations in refugee camps, involving resident evacuations, house-to-house searches, and the demolition of terrorist infrastructure. He also stated that the IDF is preparing for a broad military operation in the West Bank, the largest since the Six-Day War, with the timing yet to be determined. "The IDF is ready to carry it out, and we will determine the timing, but it is on its way," Netanyahu said.

Defense Minister Katz clarified that the neighborhood in Hebron from which the terrorists originated would be evacuated of its residents and its terrorist infrastructure demolished, following the model used in Jenin. Additionally, Netanyahu announced a lockdown on Hebron and the nearby town of Halhul, accelerated demolition of illegal structures along roads, and consideration of expanding the offensive model to other West Bank cities.