developing· Security· Updated 17:49

IDF Chief Vows Forceful Action After Foiling Attack Near Judea Junction

Two IDF soldiers were killed on Friday, 23 October 2026, in a shooting attack at the Yehuda Junction near Hebron. The fallen soldiers were identified as Sergeant First Class Ron Yonatan Reutman, 23, of Ashkelon, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Suilam, 20, of Hod Hasharon. Both served in the Ari Battalion of the Rescue Brigade and were killed during their first operational deployment.

7 newsrooms · 2 languages · since 09:39

Plus

IDF Chief Vows Forceful Action After Foiling Attack Near Judea Junction — Illustration by baba

Watch · 1 clip

Clips the newsrooms posted about this story. They play from YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok and X.

Photos · 4

Photos the newsrooms posted about this story, and the ones the IDF and Magen David Adom released.

Official photos are free. 3 more with Plus.

What happened

01Two IDF soldiers, Sergeant First Class Ron Yonatan Reutman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Suilam, were killed in a shooting attack at the Yehuda Junction near Hebron.
02Five people were injured in the attack, including two critically, during a 20-minute close-range firefight with the terrorists.
03The two terrorists, identified with Hamas, were eliminated by a deputy battalion commander and a company commander.
04The terrorists carried an M4 rifle, a pistol, a "Bross" weapon, and a large quantity of ammunition in their vehicle to launch a larger attack.
05IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved a complete closure on Hebron and surrounding villages following the deadly incident.
06The fallen soldiers belonged to the Rescue Brigade's Ari Battalion, which was on its first operational deployment since being established.
07IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir vowed that the military would act with force and pursue all individuals involved in the attack.

Five people were injured in the attack, two of them critically, according to Kikar HaShabbat. The two terrorists, who were identified with Hamas and had departed from Hebron, were eliminated by responding forces, including a deputy battalion commander and a company commander, after a close-range firefight that lasted over 20 minutes.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited the scene and held a security assessment with the Commander of the Central Command, Major General Avi Bluth. Zamir stated that the swift actions of the soldiers prevented a much larger tragedy. The terrorists were carrying an M4 assault rifle, a pistol, a "Bross" weapon, and a large cache of ammunition in their vehicle, which they apparently planned to use for a widespread attack on Route 35.

Following the attack, Zamir approved a complete closure on Hebron and surrounding villages, alongside intensified arrest operations. The military remains on high alert across all fronts, and Zamir vowed that the IDF would pursue and reach everyone involved in the attack.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 7 newsrooms. Updated 18:37