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Five people have been wounded, with two left in critical condition, after two Palestinian terrorists opened fire on civilians at a junction in the southern West Bank this morning.
Two victims were critically wounded, while three others sustained light to moderate injuries, ambulance service Magen David Adom said.
The wounded victims were evacuated to Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Ein Kerem hospitals in Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office has since issued a statement saying that the gunmen were “Hamas terrorists” who were “planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians”.
According to Hebrew media, the IDF’s assessment is that the terrorists were trying to gain access to the Route 35 road to carry out a larger-scale attack but became engaged in an exchange of fire at an army checkpoint.
“Our brave soldiers thwarted this attack with courage and determination. I commend them for their actions and wish our wounded a speedy recovery,” Netanyahu said.
“Our forces are operating with reinforcements to thwart terrorism and are carrying out extensive waves of arrests.
“We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who sent them, wherever they are and at all times. You have nowhere to hide.”
The gunfire lasted for more than 20 minutes, preventing emergency teams from evacuating the wounded immediately, according to a medic who recorded the attack, Ofer Ohana.
“The terrorist keeps firing,” he shouted in footage of the incident. “We can't evacuate the wounded.”
The attackers arrived in a vehicle with yellow licence plates at Yehuda Junction, south-east of Hebron, and began shooting before attempting to flee. Israeli troops pursued and killed both of the attackers, who were armed with a handgun and an M16 rifle, the IDF said.
IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said a large quantity of ammunition was found in the terrorists’ vehicle, indicating that they had intended to carry out a larger-scale attack.
“This was a serious terrorist attack,” Zamir said. “The soldiers’ rapid response prevented an even more serious attack and further harm to civilians and security forces.”
The two terrorists, both 27-year-old Hebron residents, were killed by soldiers from the Home Front Command’s Ari Battalion.
Israeli forces have since encircled Hebron and suspended all entry to and exit from the West Bank.
Speaking on a visit to the area, Netanyahu said: “First of all, we will act to destroy this place, to change it completely.
“But we are going to do something that has not been done until now: We will implement the successful and aggressive model we used in the refugee camps, which are essentially terrorist strongholds.
“That is exactly what we will do here, in the neighbourhood in Hebron from which the terrorists emerged.
“We will evacuate the residents, we will go house to house, we will remove the weapons there as well, and all the terrorist infrastructure will be dealt with and destroyed.”
He also praised “heroic settlers” whom he called “a model for the people of Israel; you are a model for the State of Israel”.
The attack comes amid heightened security tensions in the West Bank ahead of Israel's October 27 election.
The IDF has raised its alert level twice in the past month and suspended leave across military units following a security assessment by Zamir.
Zamir ordered reinforcements to Central Command, one of the IDF's four regional commands and responsible for the West Bank, including additional troops and the Paratroopers Brigade headquarters, as the military prepared for possible escalation across multiple fronts.
The IDF said it would maintain heightened readiness to ensure the election could take place safely and on schedule.
Additional reporting by JNS
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