2 Palestinians said hurt in West Bank settler attack

Hebron municipality: Some 5,000 residents still impacted by IDF operation in city

Operation launched last week, after Palestinian gunmen killed 2 soldiers, continues, 6 detained in nearby villages; IDF says footage of soldier beating Palestinian detainee under review

By Nurit Yohanan and Emanuel Fabian Today, 3:47 pm
Israeli soldiers guard a checkpoint at the entrance to the West Bank city of Hebron, following a shooting attack in the area several days earlier, October 28, 2026. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)

The Hebron municipality said on Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces was continuing its operation in the city for a sixth consecutive day, following Friday’s shooting attack at the entrance to Hebron in which Palestinian gunmen killed two IDF soldiers.

According to a statement by the municipality cited by the Palestinian news agency WAFA, some 780 families, comprising around 5,000 people, have either been evacuated from their homes or remain trapped inside them due to the operation, which includes house searches and the closure of neighborhoods across the city.

The military said Wednesday its operation in Hebron was continuing, despite reports that the IDF told Israel’s political leadership days ago that the objectives there have been met.

The army said troops and Border Police officers found an M16 assault rifle during the recent scans in Hebron, bringing the total to three firearms found in the raid that began six days ago.

In other villages in the Hebron area, Border Police officers apprehended six wanted Palestinians overnight, including suspected Hamas operatives, who are allegedly involved in terror activity, according to the IDF and police.

In the attack on Friday, Hebron residents Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba opened fire on a checkpoint at the northern exit to the West Bank city, killing Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem and wounding three other soldiers. Both gunmen were shot dead by troops.

IDF troops operate in the village of Beita, south of the city of Nablus in the West Bank, October 28, 2026. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

The military has said troops were operating in the Hebron neighborhood where the two gunmen lived. According to IDF assessments, some 2,000 residents of the area are members of the Jaaba clan, which the military said is affiliated with Hamas.

Soldier filmed beating Palestinian detainee; IDF says conduct under review

An IDF soldier was filmed on Tuesday morning beating a Palestinian detainee in the South Hebron Hills, in the southern West Bank.

Footage showed a soldier repeatedly striking the detainee in the head as he and another Palestinian were bound and blindfolded.

According to Palestinian reports, the IDF arrested two Palestinians, a father and son, after settlers attacked their home.

The IDF said that troops were dispatched to the area following a report that an Israeli civilian had been assaulted, and that the Palestinian suspects resisted the forces.

“Upon arrival, the troops acted to remove the suspects involved in the assault. After they refused to leave for an extended period and physically resisted the troops, a closed military zone order was issued to disperse the gathering. Two Palestinians were arrested. The suspects continued to resist the troops during their arrest. The use of violence is unacceptable. The soldiers’ conduct is being reviewed and will be addressed in accordance with the findings,” the IDF said.

 

Palestinian media outlets also reported on Tuesday that two Palestinians were injured in a settler attack in the South Hebron Hills, in the southern West Bank.

According to the reports, Yusuf Makhamra and Issa Awad, both residents of the area, were injured while traveling near Khirbet Fakhit. Footage showed Makhamra bleeding from his face.

Separately, Palestinian media outlets reported that three vehicles were set on fire in the early morning hours of Tuesday in Umm Safa, near Ramallah. No injuries were reported.

Violence in the West Bank has soared since the Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war in October 2023.

More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the war started, according to the PA health ministry. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops, or terrorists carrying out attacks.

During the same period, 69 civilians and Israeli security personnel have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes during raids in Palestinian cities in the West Bank.

The same period has also seen a major surge in attacks by settler extremists on Palestinians and their property across the West Bank. The IDF recorded 867 incidents of nationalistic crime and settler violence in 2025. The total for 2024 was 682 incidents.

Israel has faced growing international criticism over settler violence during the olive harvest, with rights groups documenting multiple attacks and other disruptions each day by settlers against Palestinians.

Arrests and prosecutions of Israeli settlers are rare.

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