IDF Searches 200 Sites, Arrests 10 After Hebron Shooting Killed 2 Soldiers

Israeli troops and Civil Administration personnel tore down unauthorized buildings and infrastructure at the northern entrance to Hebron on Saturday, escalating a counterterrorism operation that began after gunmen killed two soldiers the day before. The military said the demolitions, carried out close to the site of the shooting, were intended to enforce law and remove structures it assessed as security threats.

The shooting on Friday at Yehuda Junction killed St.-Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem. Military officials in Central Command named the attackers as Hamouda and Firas al-Ja'aba, both affiliated with Hamas, and said they came directly from the Ein Dir-Baha neighborhood.

The operation is commanded by the Judea Brigade and includes troops from the Duvdevan and Maglan units, the Paratroopers Brigade, Givati reconnaissance reservists and Border Police, with intelligence guidance from the Shin Bet security agency. Soldiers searched roughly 200 locations, ruled out weapons and terrorist activity at those sites, and arrested 10 suspects.

IDF assessments put the number of area residents belonging to the Ja'aba clan at about 2,000. The clan is affiliated with Hamas, and military officials said the gunmen who carried out Friday's attack came from its ranks.

Evacuations of the al-Jalda and Ein Dir-Baha neighborhoods in western Hebron began on Friday evening. Civilians who asked to leave were allowed to exit temporarily through designated checkpoints run by the Shin Bet and the IDF. Officials said removing residents from the buildings lets troops and Shin Bet personnel search structures, homes and their immediate surroundings for weapons, ammunition, explosives laboratories and caches without endangering civilians. The area is known to the security establishment as a center of Hamas activity in Hebron.

Brig.-Gen. Kobi Heller, commander of the IDF's West Bank Division, has widened arrest operations and searches across Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarm, along with other locations throughout Samaria. The expansion comes as officials cite concerns about efforts by Hamas leadership abroad to orchestrate attacks ahead of the elections.

A situational assessment scheduled for Saturday will determine whether the operation expands further. In the meantime, the IDF continues to press on with demolitions near the entrance to Hebron.