IDF Officer and Reservist Killed in West Bank Shooting Attack; Two Suspects Arrested

On Friday morning, Lieutenant Colonel Yuval Ezra, 27, from Herzliya and commander of a battery in the 411th Battalion of the Artillery Corps, was killed in a shooting attack in the West Bank. Ezra left behind his parents, a brother, and a sister. His funeral is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. in the military section of Beit Olamim Cemetery in Beit Dagan. The attack also claimed the life of Binyahu Malat, a 32-year-old reservist and member of the security team at the Givat Gilad outpost, who was shot while assisting a group of hikers near the village of Tal.

The incident began during a hike near Tal when dozens of Palestinians clashed violently with the hikers. The hike was not coordinated with the IDF, which considers this a serious breach. Security personnel from Givat Gilad arrived, and one assailant seized a weapon and opened fire on the Israelis. Two attackers were wounded during the attack, evacuated to a hospital in Nablus, and subsequently arrested by security forces. The identities of all involved attackers are known, and efforts to apprehend them continue.

Following the attack, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a situation assessment with Central Command and Operations Directorate leaders, ordering reinforced troop deployments to strengthen security and capture all perpetrators. The IDF is conducting extensive counterterrorism operations in the West Bank, including in Beit Furik and Tubas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened a security cabinet meeting, announcing measures such as demolishing the attacker’s home near Tal, intensified operations in terror hotspots, weapon seizures, revoking work permits, increased troop presence across the West Bank, traffic route separations, and accelerating regulation and establishment of new outposts. Shin Bet chief David Zini also held a briefing at the attack site, directing enhanced intelligence and offensive actions against terror infrastructures.

This attack is the third violent incident in the West Bank within 24 hours. On Thursday, Itamar Cohen, a founder of agricultural outposts, was stabbed near Elon Moreh while helping extinguish a fire. The attacker was killed by a civilian. Later, another stabbing occurred in northern West Bank, with the assailant neutralized by IDF forces.