Five people were wounded in a shooting attack Friday morning near Yehuda Junction, southeast of Hebron. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said two were critically wounded and three sustained light to moderate injuries. The terrorists arrived in a vehicle with yellow license plates, got out and opened fire on people at the junction. IDF troops rushed to the scene and killed the two terrorists, who were armed with a handgun and an M16 rifle, following a brief pursuit as they attempted to flee. Roadblocks were set up in the area.
Ofer Ohana, a medical professional well known in the area, recorded the shooting and was heard shouting: "The terrorist keeps firing. There are ongoing exchanges of fire between the terrorist and our forces. We can't evacuate the wounded! There's been active gunfire for more than 20 minutes!"
'The terrorist keeps firing': Footage captures moments of the attack
Footage of the shooting attack on Route 35 at Tzomet HaZchuchit
Scene of the attack
IDF troops rushed to the scene and, following a brief pursuit, killed the two terrorists, who carried out the shooting with a handgun and an M16 rifle before attempting to flee. Israeli forces imposed a cordon around several villages in the area. Magen David Adom said its medics and paramedics, working alongside IDF medical personnel, were treating five victims, including two in critical condition, and evacuating them to Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Ein Kerem hospitals. One victim was moderately wounded and two were lightly wounded.
Shaare Zedek Medical Center said two victims of the shooting attack at Yehuda Junction had arrived at its trauma unit in moderate condition. Both were conscious and stable and were sent for imaging tests and further treatment following an initial assessment.
Hadassah Hospital said one victim of the attack was taken to the trauma unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem in mild condition and was fully conscious.
The IDF raised its alert level twice over the past month, first around Oct. 7 and again this week. On Monday, the military announced that, following a security assessment conducted by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, leave would be suspended across all military units beginning Thursday. The assessment, which covered multiple fronts, was attended by the heads of the Operations Directorate and Military Intelligence, as well as the commanders of the Northern, Central, Southern and Home Front commands.
At the start of the assessment, Zamir stressed that the IDF's mission was to ensure democratic elections could take place "on schedule and safely." He said the military was on the highest level of alert and would maintain heightened vigilance and readiness across all fronts.
Magen David Adom teams at the scene of the attack
(Photo: Magen David Adom)
Zamir also ordered an increased presence of senior commanders in operations rooms, headquarters and military units to ensure operational readiness.
Amid heightened tensions in the West Bank and a surge in nationalist-motivated violence, Zamir also ordered reinforcements to Central Command, including the deployment of the Paratroopers Brigade headquarters and additional troops to strengthen the military's presence in the area. The brigade will serve as a mission-specific headquarters in the area between Samaria and Binyamin, the military said. Additional forces will also be allocated to other fronts according to operational needs, including air, naval and ground units.