Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Terror Attack Near Hebron

Good Morning, Israel · Saturday, October 24, 2026 · 7:00

Good Morning, Israel · Episode 27

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1. Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Terror Attack Near Hebron
2. Elderly Man Dies After Shfaram Shooting; 182 Murdered in Arab Society This Year
3. Netanyahu Strikes Deal With Accused Rabbi, Party Quits Knesset Race
4. IDF Chief Vows Pursuit of Attackers After Judea Junction Shooting
5. Final Polls Show Eisenkot Leading Netanyahu, But No Clear Majority
6. Netanyahu Suggests Israel Prepare for Sanctions Using Cryptocurrency

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Maya

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in a terror attack near Hebron, and the army has sealed off the city.

Daniel

And with the election three days away, the Israel Defense Forces say they're at their highest level of readiness on every front.

Maya

This is Good Morning, Israel from baba News. It's Saturday, October twenty-fourth. I'm Maya.

Daniel

And I'm Daniel.

Maya

Daniel, start with the soldiers. What happened?

Daniel

On Friday, terrorists opened fire at the Yehuda Junction, also called the Judea Junction, near Hebron. Hebron is a large Palestinian city in Judea and Samaria, the area many abroad call the West Bank.

Maya

And the soldiers killed?

Daniel

Senior Sergeant Ron Yonatan Reitman and Sergeant Yuval Shai Swilem. Three other soldiers were wounded.

Maya

What about the attackers?

Daniel

According to the I D F, soldiers eliminated two terrorists affiliated with Hamas. And in their vehicle, troops found a large cache of ammunition.

Maya

A large cache. That doesn't sound like a plan to fire a few shots and run.

Daniel

No, and that's the point the army is making. The Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, visited the scene. He said the soldiers' actions prevented a larger attack.

Maya

So two soldiers died stopping something worse.

Daniel

That's the I D F's assessment. Zamir also vowed to pursue everyone responsible.

Maya

And the response on the ground?

Daniel

The Chief of Staff approved a blockade of Hebron. Security forces have launched a counter-terror operation targeting the area the terrorists came from, and it's expected to last several days.

Maya

What does that mean for people living there?

Daniel

Residents can leave through designated points after security checks. Forces are also active across Judea and Samaria, and troops in the region have been reinforced.

Maya

Why does this matter beyond Hebron?

Daniel

Timing. On Friday we told you Defense Minister Israel Katz had warned enemies might try attacks around the vote. That claim was controversial, and nothing links it to this attack. But it's why the army says it's on maximum alert right through Tuesday.

Maya

A heavy story from Israel's north now, in Shfaram.

Daniel

Shfaram is an Arab city in the Galilee, near Haifa. A seventy-nine-year-old man has died after being shot there. His wife and son were wounded too.

Maya

Do we know why?

Daniel

No. There are no further details yet about the shooting or the condition of the wife and son.

Maya

And this isn't a one-off.

Daniel

Sadly, no. It brings the number of people murdered in Arab society in Israel this year to one hundred and eighty-two. Crime, often by organized gangs, has become one of the country's deadliest problems, and it's an issue Arab Israeli voters will carry into Tuesday.

Maya

Let's go to the campaign, and a deal that's raising eyebrows.

Daniel

The Achi party, led by Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Abirgel, has pulled out of the Knesset race. The Knesset is Israel's parliament.

Maya

Pulled out why?

Daniel

It wasn't polling above the electoral threshold, the minimum share of the vote a party needs to win any seats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Abirgel, and a deal was struck for a deputy minister position.

Maya

And here's the part that matters.

Daniel

Right. Abirgel faces allegations of sexual offenses against minors. Multiple women have accused him of sexual misconduct, and police have noted significant pressure on victims to stay silent.

Maya

And the reaction from Netanyahu's party?

Daniel

The Likud praised the decision to withdraw, stressing the importance of not wasting votes.

Maya

Wait, this sounds familiar.

Daniel

It should. On Thursday we told you Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich offered Ofer Winter ministerial posts to drop out for the same reason. Votes for a party that misses the threshold are simply lost.

Maya

So the final week of the campaign is basically a clearance sale on small parties.

Daniel

Pretty much. Except this time the price is a government post for a man facing very serious allegations.

Maya

Which brings us to the numbers. The final polls are out.

Daniel

They show Gadi Eisenkot's party, Yashar, ahead of Netanyahu's Likud. But neither bloc is projected to reach sixty-one seats, the majority needed to form a government in the one hundred and twenty seat Knesset.

Maya

So who's closer?

Daniel

The opposition bloc has a slight edge. But Arab parties could be pivotal, meaning whoever wants a majority may have to deal with them in some form.

Maya

And those small parties again.

Daniel

Exactly. Several are struggling to cross the threshold. If one scrapes in or falls just short, that can swing seats from one bloc to the other.

Maya

So the polls say, tight, messy, and possibly not over on Tuesday.

Daniel

That's it. They point to hard coalition talks, and even the possibility of yet another election.

Maya

And now, the Prime Minister on sanctions, and a word nobody expected. Cryptocurrency.

Daniel

Netanyahu said Israel should prepare for possible international sanctions, and explore cryptocurrency and blockchain technology as ways around them, including around banking restrictions.

Maya

What prompted that?

Daniel

Western countries have imposed sanctions on goods from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. And a new report counts sixty-two countries that have taken a hundred and twenty-one measures against Israel, with Spain and the U S leading.

Maya

The U S, really?

Daniel

That's what the report says. And Netanyahu went further, suggesting American defense aid might not continue forever, so Israel needs to boost its own defense production.

Maya

Making more at home, so no one else holds the off switch.

Daniel

Right. He also clashed with Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron. You'll remember Yaron warned this week about balancing defense spending with fiscal discipline. Netanyahu's answer is that security is what the economy stands on.

Maya

And the critics?

Daniel

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said these remarks predict dire economic consequences if the government is re-elected. And more than sixty economists warned that the international steps could cause severe economic damage, urging policy changes to prevent further isolation.

Maya

So a campaign that started on Iran is ending on Israel's bank accounts.

Daniel

And whoever wins inherits both.

Maya

Back briefly to Hebron. The operation there continues, with forces active across Judea and Samaria.

Daniel

The army expects it to run for several days, so it'll overlap with the final weekend of the campaign.

Maya

Daniel, what should listeners watch?

Daniel

The Hebron operation today and tomorrow. Whether the forces reach anyone else behind Friday's attack, and whether that ammunition points to a wider network.

Maya

And on Tuesday, Israelis vote. Follow Good Morning, Israel so tomorrow's episode is waiting for you.

Daniel

See you tomorrow morning.