IDF names two soldiers killed in deadly shooting attack near Hebron

The IDF cleared for publication the names of two soldiers killed in the shooting attack near Hebron: Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, from Ashkelon, a squad commander in the Ari Battalion (775) of the Search and Rescue Brigade, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, from Hod Hasharon, a combat soldier in the same battalion. Both were killed in the attack at Yehuda Junction. The IDF said three other people wounded in the attack were also soldiers and that their injuries were classified as minor. The families of the casualties have been notified. David Roytman, Ron's brother, said: "He was a star. Everyone loved him wherever he went. People always say things like that about someone who has fallen, but he was always number one. He fought to become a combat soldier. He wasn't even supposed to enlist in a combat role. He spent a year volunteering with at-risk youth and was injured while playing soccer. They told him there was no way he could become a combat soldier. He said, 'That's not going to happen.'" His brother added: "He went through everyone, from junior officers all the way to the chief medical officer, and he managed to become a combat soldier. He was a commander of recruits and went with them to the battalion. He was always dreaming and striving for more. He took every opportunity to serve in the most dangerous areas of Judea and Samaria. That's what he pushed for." David himself served as a combat soldier in the Combat Engineering Corps, while their older sister served in the Caracal Battalion, a mixed-gender combat unit. "We're all a family of fighters," David said. Ron attended the Kadoorie Youth Village boarding school in northern Israel. "He was someone with a zest for life, someone who loved living. He was my best friend," his brother said. Staff Sgt. Roytman, 23, will be laid to rest Sunday at 11 a.m. at the military cemetery in Ashkelon. Hod Hasharon Mayor Amir Kochavi paid tribute to Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem. "With profound sorrow and heavy hearts, we received the devastating news that Hod Hasharon resident Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem had fallen in battle with terrorists at Yehuda Junction," Kochavi wrote. "Yuval was the son of Sivan and Amnon, a loving brother to Shira and Itamar, a devoted grandson, cousin and beloved friend. He was born and raised in Hod Hasharon. "The Hod Hasharon municipality and community bow their heads in grief and share in the profound sorrow of our colleagues Amnon and Sivan, their children Shira and Itamar and the entire family." Two Palestinian terrorists arrived at the scene, got out of a vehicle and opened fire. The gunbattle lasted more than 20 minutes, during which additional forces arrived, including the deputy commander of the Ari Battalion and a company commander from the battalion. The soldiers worked together to flank the terrorists and killed them. A search of the terrorists' vehicle uncovered a large quantity of ammunition. Authorities believe the attackers had planned a major attack against civilians and intended to reach the main roads before proceeding into Israel's interior. However, investigators are still examining whether the attackers were part of a cell directed by an outside organization or acted on their own initiative. Because both terrorists were killed, the investigation is continuing in an effort to determine their intended destination. Magen David Adom paramedics and emergency medical technicians, working alongside an IDF medical team, treated the wounded at the scene before evacuating them to Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Ein Kerem hospitals in Jerusalem. Ofer Ohana, a medic who arrived Friday morning at the scene of the attack at Yehuda Junction on Route 35, managed to film the exchange of fire while under live fire himself. "The terrorist keeps shooting. The exchange of fire between the terrorist and our forces is continuing. We can't get the wounded out. There has been active gunfire for more than 20 minutes," he can be heard shouting in the footage. Meanwhile, a photographer for the French news agency AFP captured footage of the two terrorists reloading their weapons during the exchange of fire and later filmed their bodies lying on the ground after they were killed. The IDF will examine the AFP photographer's account to determine whether he happened upon the scene by chance or had received advance information about the attack. AFP categorically denies that the photographer who captured images of the terrorists in the West Bank had any prior knowledge of the attack, insisting that he has not even been questioned by security forces. Moshe Butavia, Kiryat Arba's security chief, took part in the gunbattle with the terrorists. "We received a report of a shooting attack targeting a military force on Route 35, with casualties. Security forces from the area rushed to the scene, including me," Butavia told ynet. "The terrorists arrived in a vehicle, stopped at a spot where they couldn't be seen, quickly got out and opened fire." He added: "In the morning, residents are traveling along the road, including buses taking students to schools in Kiryat Arba. I arrived at the scene about 15 minutes after the incident began. When I got there, I joined the fighting. Two terrorists were firing from an elevated position, and we engaged them for about 20 minutes until a force commanded by the sector's deputy battalion commander killed them." Describing the scene, Butavia said: "The terrorists arrived in a decommissioned vehicle with yellow Israeli license plates. The soldiers at the scene prevented the attack from spreading to the main road and endangering passing motorists. That prevented a much greater disaster." Butavia praised the security forces, saying: "The army works hard every night, carrying out numerous operations to maintain residents' security and protect the roads and communities. We must remain vigilant." IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir praised the soldiers of the Home Front Command's Ari Battalion who killed the two Palestinian terrorists in the shooting attack near Hebron. "The soldiers' swift actions prevented an even more serious attack and additional casualties among civilians and security forces," Zamir said during a situational assessment at the IDF's Judea Brigade headquarters. Following the attack, Israeli forces imposed a closure on Hebron and Halhul, prohibiting entry to and exit from both cities. At the same time, the military implemented a procedure known as "Gray Bolt" throughout Central Command, under which Palestinian vehicles entering main roads are subjected to security checks. The measures also apply to the Jenin, Nablus and Jericho areas as part of efforts to prevent further attacks. Security forces began extensive searches, engineering operations and mapping the homes of the attackers, Hamouda al-Jaaba, 27, and Firas al-Jaaba, 27, both from Hebron. The two belonged to the same extended family and lived near each other. As part of the investigation, authorities are expected to make arrests among people connected to the attackers while examining possible links to other individuals or organizations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the scene with Defense Minister Israel Katz, said: "We warned several weeks ago about attempts by our enemies to harm us, our civilians and our soldiers ahead of the elections. That is what they tried to do here. IDF soldiers stopped them with their own bodies and were also hit. The soldiers not only stopped the terrorists but also charged at them heroically and killed them." Netanyahu added: "First, we will act to demolish this place and completely transform it. But we will also do something that has not been done until now. We are going to implement the successful, aggressive model we used in the refugee camps, which are effectively terrorist strongholds. "That is exactly what we will do here, in a neighborhood of Hebron from which the terrorists came. We will evacuate the residents, go house to house, remove the weapons and deal with and destroy all terrorist infrastructure." The Home Front Command's Ari Battalion was established over the past year in response to the need to increase the number of combat troops deployed across various operational sectors, while also providing additional forces for missions on the home front. It is the fifth battalion in the IDF's Search and Rescue Brigade. Shortly after the battalion's first company completed its operational training, the unit was placed on rescue alert as part of Operation Roaring Lion to provide support in northern Israel. Once its formation was complete, the battalion joined the brigade's other battalions conducting routine operations in the IDF's Judea and Samaria Division. Over the past week, the battalion's soldiers began their first operational deployment after completing several months of initial training, including specialized instruction for the unit's combat soldiers. The battalion commander, Lt. Col. L., said Friday morning: "The battalion's soldiers acted professionally and were deployed effectively throughout the area as part of the effort to protect the residents of the State of Israel." He added: "Already during their first operational deployment, the battalion's soldiers demonstrated the importance of their mission and their operational readiness. The soldiers maintained a high level of alertness and operational readiness, engaged the enemy and acted swiftly and decisively to neutralize the threat. They prevented harm to civilians, protected the population and successfully completed their mission. "We will continue to operate responsibly and remain vigilant as part of our mission to defend Israel's residents."