2 soldiers killed by Palestinian gunmen in West Bank terror attack, Israel

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting attack at a checkpoint near the Yehuda Junction outside Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning, the Israeli military said. The victims were identified as Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, both of the Home Front Command's 775th "Ari" Battalion.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, two Palestinian gunmen armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun arrived by car and opened fire at the temporary checkpoint, triggering a gunfight that lasted over 20 minutes before troops killed both assailants.

The military said a large quantity of ammunition was found in the attackers' vehicle, and officials assessed the gunmen had intended to carry out a larger attack on Route 35 but were stopped at the checkpoint.

Following the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office ordered preparations for a full closure of the West Bank, while the military imposed a cordon on Hebron and launched arrest operations in the area.