On October 23, 2026, two Palestinian men, identified by The Times of Israel as Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba, both aged 27 and from Hebron, opened fire at a temporary military checkpoint near the Yehuda Junction / Route 35, on the outskirts of Hebron. Five Israeli soldiers were initially reported wounded; subsequent reporting confirmed that two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others wounded. Israeli forces killed both Palestinian men after an exchange of fire lasting around 20 minutes.

The retaliation: closures, raids, demolitions and threats

Israeli forces demolished commercial structures in Farsh al-Hawa, including an auto-parts shop and structures belonging to the al-Qawasmi Tile and Ceramic Company. WAFA reported damage to industrial equipment and the levelling of approximately seven dunams of land.

Israeli soldiers ordered Palestinian residents to leave buildings before demolition. The report described soldiers pushing civilians to evacuate. Israeli forces also raided homes in Hebron and searched for additional people connected to the shooting.

Israeli forces closed entrances and exits to the governorate, blocking Palestinian movement. Ynet also reported the closure of Highway 35 in both directions. Israeli leaders also announced preparations for a wider West Bank closure.

Israeli Commander and Chief Eyal Zamir visited the shooting scene and approved preparations for a full cordon around Hebron and nearby villages, additional abductions, intensified intelligence operations, and further military reinforcements as needed.

WAFA separately reported the arrests of Jamaluddin al-Hreibat in Beit ar-Rush and Mohammad Zeitoun al-Halayqa in ash-Shuyukh. It did not establish that these arrests were directly connected to the shooting.

Statements by Israeli leaders

• Benjamin Netanyahu: ordered the closure of Hebron and preparations for a broader military operation. He threatened evacuations, house-to-house searches and destruction of infrastructure in the neighbourhood associated with the attackers. The premier said he was joined by Zamir, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Shin Bet head David Zini, National Security Adviser Shmuel Ben Ezra, and IDF Central Command head Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth: “Our forces are operating with increased intensity to thwart terrorism and are carrying out extensive waves of arrests,” said Netanyahu. “We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who send them, everywhere and at all times. You have no safe haven.”

• Bezalel Smotrich: announced demolitions, explicitly describing them as a means of creating deterrence and making Palestinians pay a price for the attack.

• Itamar Ben-Gvir: called for dismantling and demilitarising the Palestinian Authority.

• Israel Katz, the defence minister: invoked the model of operations in Gaza and the northern West Bank refugee camps, promising further evacuations and demolitions.

These announcements went beyond targeting the two men who carried out the shooting. The demolitions affected Palestinian-owned structures, and the owners' connection to the attack was not established in the reporting. The Guardian reported that Israel's High Court issued a temporary order halting further demolitions after a legal challenge.