Two IDF soldiers were R”L killed and several others wounded Friday morning in a terrorist shooting attack near Judea Junction on Route 35, outside Chevron in Judea and Samaria.

The fallen soldiers were identified as Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, and Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23. HY”D.

The attack began when two gunmen opened fire on an IDF position, triggering an extended exchange of gunfire. Both terrorists were killed as they attempted to flee.

Security forces discovered a large cache of ammunition in the attackers’ vehicle, raising concerns about the scale of the attack they had planned. According to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the soldiers’ response helped prevent a potentially far deadlier incident. Five people were wounded, including the two niftarim R”L.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions and renewed debate over violence in Judea and Samaria. Israeli officials have indicated that a broader military response may follow.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans for expanded IDF operations in the area, saying Israel intends to apply the approach used in recent operations in refugee camps to urban areas. The proposed strategy would involve evacuating residents from neighborhoods where terrorists originated, conducting house-to-house searches, and dismantling terrorist infrastructure.

We mourn the loss of two young soldiers who were killed while defending their country and protecting others. Yihi Zichrom Baruch. Besuros Tovos Yeshuos V’nechamos.

Netanyahu: We’ll apply the ‘aggressive’ counterterrorism model to the Hebron neighborhood the terrorists came from: evacuate residents, search house to house and destroy terror infrastructure https://t.co/fh6a8H0UVP

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 23, 2026

WATCH: Security cameras caught this morning’s shooting attack near Hebron. The attackers had an M-16 and a Handgun.

IDF troops killed both gunmen in an exchange of fire. https://t.co/oQnVOaYr06

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 23, 2026

#WATCH: Footage filmed on a camera mounted on the helmet of Moshe Botbiah, the security officer for the Kiryat Arba-Hebron Local Council, captures the pursuit of the terrorists who carried out the shooting attack in the area on Friday and the exchanges of gunfire with them. https://t.co/hkI6vUmJUU

— Israel National News – Arutz Sheva (@ArutzSheva_En) October 23, 2026