Israel launches major Hebron operation after terrorists kill 2 IDF soldiers

Netanyahu praised the “successful, aggressive” type of operation previously conducted in refugee camps.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli security forces launched a major operation in the Hebron area after two soldiers were killed in a shooting at Yehuda Junction, with Hebron and Halhul placed under closure and troops sent into the city to pursue suspects and target terror infrastructure.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also directed the security establishment to prepare for the possibility of closing Judea and Samaria entirely.

In Hebron, he said the military would focus on the neighborhood where the attackers came from, temporarily removing residents while troops search individual homes, confiscate weapons and dismantle terror infrastructure.

Netanyahu compared the planned measures with operations previously conducted in refugee camps, calling that approach the “successful, aggressive model.”

“We will consider extending this model to other cities as well,” Netanyahu said.

IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth said a significant counterterrorism campaign was getting underway in parallel with the restrictions surrounding Hebron and Halhul.

IDF soldiers and Border Police were already operating inside Hebron, where they reached residences belonging to the attackers and other suspects, the military said.

Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, from Ashkelon, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon, were killed in the attack, according to the IDF.

Roytman and Svilem were members of the Ari Battalion in the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade. Three soldiers sustained light injuries.

Following the shooting, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with the commander of Central Command, the head of the Operations Directorate and additional commanders for a situational assessment.

The attackers had arrived with enough ammunition to potentially inflict greater casualties, according to Zamir, who said the soldiers’ response limited the damage.

“A large amount of ammunition was found in the vehicle in which the terrorists arrived. The swift action of the fighters prevented a more severe attack,” Zamir said during the assessment.