GAZA – Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a military checkpoint near the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Friday, killing two soldiers and wounding three in a gunfight that lasted for more than 20 minutes, before soldiers martyred both attackers.
The Israeli soldiers killed by Palestinian gunmen were identified as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, from Ashkelon, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon. After conducting a preliminary probe, the Israel defence forces said it believed the gunmen were planning to carry out a larger attack against Israeli civilians on Route 35, but realised they would not be able to reach the highway and decided to open fire at the temporary checkpoint instead. The Palestinian fighters were identified as Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba, 27-year-old Hebron residents. They were members of the same family, though as of late Friday morning their exact relationship remained unclear.
It was also not clear if they were working alone or with a larger network. The Hamas group — which has a strong presence in Hebron — called the shooting “heroic,” but did not claim responsibility for it.
The two attackers arrived by car at around 7:30 a.m. at a temporary checkpoint set up by the army at the exit to Hebron.
The soldiers stationed there, from the Home Front Command’s 775th “Ari” Search and Rescue Battalion, were conducting routine checks on Palestinian cars leaving the city. The two Palestinians exited their car on a side street, armed with an assault rifle and a pistol. Using the buildings as cover, they opened fire on the checkpoint, according to the preliminary probe. The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it treated two of the wounded in critical condition at the scene. They were later declared dead, and the military announced they were soldiers. Three others were described as lightly to moderately wounded and were taken to hospitals in Jerusalem.
