🔫 Israeli Guard Killed in West Bank Shooting & Stabbing Attack; Two Palestinian Assailants Shot Dead

 

What happened: On July 10, 2025, a combined shooting and stabbing attack occurred near the Gush Etzion Junction shopping center in the occupied West Bank. Two Palestinian attackers launched the assault, targeting a 22‑year‑old Israeli security guard. They stabbed him, then seized his handgun and shot him at point‑blank range before being shot dead by an Israeli soldier and an armed civilian nearby .

 

Victim: The victim was a 22‑year‑old Israeli man serving as a security guard, who died of his wounds at the scene .

 

Assailants: Two Palestinian men, arriving in a stolen car, carried out the attack. They were both killed in return fire from security forces and civilians .

 

Immediate reaction: Israeli military and police sealed the area, conducted searches for other suspects, and blocked roads around Hebron, Bethlehem, and the town of Halhul .

 

 

🔍 Why It Matters

 

Escalation in West Bank violence: This attack is part of a broader pattern of violence that has intensified since the Gaza war began in October 2023. According to UN data, Israeli military operations have resulted in approximately 1,000 Palestinian fatalities in the territory, while 53 Israelis—including security personnel—have been killed in West Bank incidents during the same period .

 

Access to weapons: The attackers’ ability to seize the guard’s service pistol highlights a critical vulnerability in civilian and settlement security.

 

Security clampdown: The swift military and police reaction—road closures, manhunts, and area lockdowns—reflects the heightened tensions and operational posture of Israeli forces in the wake of such incidents..