The IDF on Friday cleared for publication the names of two soldiers killed in a shooting attack at Yehuda Junction near Hebron earlier in the day.
Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, from Ashkelon, was a squad commander in the Ari Battalion (775) of the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade. Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon, was a fighter in the same battalion. Both were killed in battle at the junction, in the IDF’s Yehuda Brigade sector.
Three other soldiers from the battalion were lightly wounded and taken to hospital. Their families have been notified.
According to the IDF’s initial investigation, two terrorists from Hebron arrived in the area carrying a large quantity of ammunition, an assault rifle, and a handgun. The IDF believes they intended to reach Route 35, which links Hebron to central Israel, to carry out a larger attack on civilians. When they realized they could not get past a temporary checkpoint manned by Ari Battalion troops, they opened fire on the soldiers instead.
The gunfight lasted more than 20 minutes. The Ari Battalion was established two months ago, and the deployment at Yehuda Junction was the soldiers’ first operational assignment.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the terrorists were killed by the Ari Battalion’s deputy commander and a company commander who rushed to the scene. Zamir called it a serious terrorist attack and said the soldiers’ quick response prevented a far worse one.
The terrorists were identified as Hamouda and Firas Jua’ba, both 27-year-old relatives from Hebron. According to the IDF’s initial investigation, they belong to a family identified with Hamas, and the IDF is examining whether the attack was directed from outside the area. Hamas praised the attack but did not formally claim responsibility.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an immediate closure of Hebron and told security forces to prepare for a full lockdown of Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu said Hamas had been planning a major attack aimed at murdering innocent civilians, and that the soldiers had thwarted it with courage and determination.
Netanyahu later visited Hebron with Defense Minister Israel Katz and announced that Israel would destroy the neighborhood the terrorists came from. He said Israel would apply the model it has used in the refugee camps of northern Samaria: residents would be evacuated, forces would go house to house to seize weapons, and all terrorist infrastructure would be destroyed.
IDF and Border Police forces have launched offensive operations in Hebron and nearby villages, including at the homes of the terrorists and other suspects.
The attack comes days before Israel’s general election on Tuesday.
May their memory be a blessing.
