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The Israel Defense Forces reported that two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on October 23, 2026, at a military checkpoint at Judea Junction near the entrance to Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Troops responded by killing both attackers during an exchange that lasted more than 20 minutes, with unverified social media footage showing the intensity of the gun battle at the scene. The military said searches continued afterward for any additional individuals linked to the incident, as the area was cordoned off.
Magen David Adom stated that two of the five wounded Israelis were in critical condition from gunshot injuries while the remaining three suffered light to moderate wounds, with all victims evacuated to Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Ein Kerem hospitals in Jerusalem. One medic at the scene told responders that the ongoing gunfire delayed immediate assistance to the injured. The emergency service identified one victim as a man in his 20s in very serious condition.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the two attackers were 27-year-old Hebron residents armed with a handgun and an M-16 rifle, and a large quantity of ammunition found in their vehicle indicated plans for a larger-scale assault. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the event as a serious terror attack. “The soldiers’ rapid response prevented an even more serious attack and further harm to civilians and security forces,” Zamir said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a full lockdown of Hebron and directed the military to prepare for a complete closure of the West Bank, while canceling all Likud party campaign events for the morning. The steps were taken four days before Israel’s general election, in which security has formed a central issue for Netanyahu’s campaign. The Washington Post reported that Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.[[1]](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/23/five-israelis-wounded-shooting-hebron-checkpoint-hamas-claims-responsibility/)
The shooting took place against a backdrop of elevated tensions in the West Bank, where extremist Jewish settlers have targeted Palestinians during the annual olive harvest. A Xinhua dispatch citing the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs placed the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers at five with more than 240 injured in October 2026.[[2]](https://english.news.cn/20261023/1a90957840f04132aba6610fb13a3046/c.html) The same UN data recorded 2,060 settler attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage since the beginning of the year.
CNN noted that the incident comes as the first Israeli election since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, adding pressure on officials to demonstrate control over security threats.[[3]](https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/23/middleeast/israel-closes-west-bank-city-intl) An AFP journalist who witnessed the firefight described the two men in casual clothing exchanging fire with soldiers at the checkpoint before they were shot dead. Reuters reported that Israeli police arrested 10 suspects in connection with related settler attacks on a journalist and diplomats in the West Bank the previous weekend.[[4]](https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/israel-police-arrest-suspects-over-settler-attacks-us-journalist-european-2026-10-19/)
