Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others injured in a shooting at a checkpoint near Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday, October 23, 2026, as tensions in the territory remained elevated.
Key takeaways
- The dead soldiers were named as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, of Ashkelon, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon.
- Both served in the 775th Ari Battalion, part of the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade.
- Roytman was a squad commander within the battalion.
- Three more members of the same unit were hurt, with wounds assessed as ranging from light to moderate.
- Two Palestinian attackers were killed following a gun battle that continued for about 20 minutes.
Checkpoint attack near Hebron
The shooting took place at a checkpoint in the Hebron area on Friday morning. Israeli forces said two Palestinian gunmen were involved in the assault.
After the initial attack, an exchange of gunfire unfolded at the site and lasted roughly 20 minutes. The two gunmen were shot and killed there.
The incident came against the backdrop of continuing unrest and security tensions across the occupied West Bank.
