Israel said it prevented a “terrorist attack” against Israeli civilians on Friday when the army killed two gunmen who had shot dead two Israeli soldiers. The shooting took place a few days before Tuesday’s electionwhen Israeli voters decide whether or not to give the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu another term.
In Jordan, gunmen opened fire inside a churchkilling seven people and injuring 40.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Read our full coverage here.
AP AUDIO: Israel prepares to close West Bank after attack kills 2 soldiers, and other news from the Middle East
AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports that Israeli settlers attacked West Bank villages, injuring a Palestinian and a foreign journalist during the olive harvest.
Israel conducts searches in Hebron area where gunmen had operated
The Israeli military said that in response to the killing of two soldiers and the wounding of other soldiers in the West Bank earlier in the day, its forces had begun “conducting precise, targeted and thorough searches” in the Hebron area from which the two gunmen had operated.
He added in a statement Friday evening that this operation is expected to continue for several days and that all residents living in the area will only be able to exit through three designated exit points after “an interrogation and security check.”
The army said it had begun demolishing infrastructure that poses a “threat” and that its soldiers continued to operate across the West Bank.
Earlier Friday, the Israeli prime minister’s office said it had ordered the military to prepare for a complete closure of the West Bank. The prime minister’s office said it had ordered the army to seal off the occupied West Bank, where the shooting took place.
Israeli army says it killed two gunmen who killed soldiers
The Israeli army said its soldiers shot dead two men who launched an attack near the city of Hebron in the Occupied West Bank on Friday morning. Two soldiers were killed and three others lightly injured during the attack.
The army said it had prevented a “terrorist attack against Israeli civilians” and that the gunmen had an M16 rifle and a handgun.
Following the attack, the Israeli prime minister’s office said it had ordered the army to prepare for a complete closure of the West Bank.
The prime minister’s office said it had ordered the army to close the Occupied West Bankwhere the shooting took place.
US to reduce staffing at four Middle East embassies as fears of Houthi attacks rise
The US State Department announced it would reduce staffing at four US embassies in the Middle East, not including Saudi Arabia, where non-essential diplomats and their family members were ordered to leave earlier this week.
The personnel changes — driven by fears that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels could intensify their rocket, missile and drone attacks in the region — will affect embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, but will not result in departure orders, the department said.
The affected embassies are all under what is known as “restricted operations” status, which has already reduced their staff footprint. Embassies will remain open.
In Jordan, faithful attacked during funerals
In Jordan, gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church on Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.
THE the shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, home to a minority Christian population, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of the capital Amman.
Jordanian Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the injured were in critical condition.
Footage broadcast by Jordanian state television showed two armed men who appeared to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots. A third man, who appears to be holding a semi-automatic rifle, then approaches and opens fire, then all three run towards the church.
A government statement said the attack was “carried out by unknown attackers” but did not specify whether any gunmen were captured or killed. He indicated that “the investigations are progressing at full speed”.
In 2016, Islamic State militants launched an attack on Karak Castle, a popular tourist site, killing 14 people, including a Canadian tourist. No group immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack.
Arab parties ask Israel’s top court to ban armed poll observers
Arab political parties running in Israeli national elections have asked the Supreme Court to ban partisan election observers from carrying weapons into polling stations.
The petition, filed Thursday with the Israel-based Adalah Legal Group, says the ban is essential to protect public safety and ensure free and fair elections on Tuesday.
This followed the announcement by Jewish parties led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that they planned to send around 2,000 election observers to Arab neighborhoods, citing allegations of electoral fraud.
Palestinians make up around 20% of the Israeli population. Arab-led parties could prove decisive in the next electionsthe first since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, if the Jewish parties are ready to join them in a government coalition.
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 3
Israeli army strikes killed three people on Friday in southern Gaza and Gaza City, according to local health authorities.
The first strike in southern Gaza killed one person. The Israeli army said it had targeted a Hamas militant.
The second strike killed two people in Gaza City, but the Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike.
Grieving relatives of the two people killed in Gaza City gathered in the courtyard of Shifa Hospital, where the injured were taken. Relatives wept over the bodies wrapped in white body bags as they said their final goodbyes.
More than 1,500 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli army since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began in October 2025, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The ministry maintains detailed records and is considered generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Part of the Hamas-led government, the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up almost half of those killed.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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