Israel says it thwarted 'terror attack,' and other Middle East developments

Israel says it killed two gunmen and thwarted a “terror attack” against Israeli civilians. The Prime Minister's Office said Friday it had instructed the army to close the West Bank, where the attack occurred.

The deadly shooting comes as Israeli voters will decide on Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu yet another term as prime minister — or usher in a new era of Israeli politics. Also ahead of elections, Arab political parties asked Israel's supreme court to ban election observers from carrying guns, and at least one person was killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Read our full coverage here .

Israel’s military said its soldiers shot and killed two men who had launched an attack near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning. At least five people were wounded, including some critically.

The army said it prevented a “terror attack against Israeli civilians” and that the gunmen had an M16 rifle and a handgun.

Following the attack, Israel's Prime Minister's office said it had ordered the army to prepare for a full closure of the West Bank.

Emergency responders said five people were hurt, some critically, and were being evacuated to hospitals in Israel. A statement from the responders said gunfire was ongoing as they arrived at the scene of the attack near the Yehuda Junction.

Two men in their 20s had gunshot wounds to their lower limbs; one of them was unconscious and seriously injured, the responders said. “We arrived at a difficult scene while shooting was still taking place in the area,” said Tzuriel Edri, a member of the response team.

Arab political parties running in Israel’s national elections have asked the country’s highest court to ban partisan election observers from carrying guns at polling stations.

The petition filed Thursday asked for an immediate hearing on the issue and said the ban was critical to protecting public safety and to guaranteeing a free and fair election next Tuesday. Adalah, an Israel-based legal group, joined the Arab parties in filing it at the Supreme Court.

It came after Jewish parties headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said they planned to send about 2,000 election observers to Arab neighborhoods, alleging voter fraud in the communities.

The observers would be activists with Netanyahu’s Likud, the major right-wing party, and Smotrich’s Religious Zionists, a far-right party popular with Israeli settlers.

Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel’s population and carry citizenship, including the right to vote. But many Jewish Israelis view them with suspicion because of close family ties and support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

The handful of Arab-led parties could prove decisive in the upcoming election , the first since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, if Jewish parties are willing to partner with them to form a governing coalition.

UNICEF called on Israel's military to take immediate steps to stop the killing of children in Gaza, more than a year into a ceasefire.

On Thursday the group said that the total number of children killed has surpassed 350 since Israel and Hamas reached the agreement last October.

“This level of violence against children is unacceptable,” Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement. He called on Israeli authorities to take immediate and decisive action to protect children.

Israel’s military continues to launch near-daily attacks on the enclave, but says those strikes target Hamas militants and that it takes steps to mitigate civilian harm, including using precision munitions and aerial surveillance.

Yemen’s defense ministry retracted a statement warning that tribal mobilization gatherings in Houthi-controlled areas would be considered legitimate military targets, calling the statement “wrong and unacceptable.”

Defense Minister Taher al-Aqili apologized to Yemen’s tribes in a post on X on Thursday, saying the military would not target tribal gatherings, known locally as “Nakf,” or other civilian assemblies. He said the military would abide by international humanitarian law in all its operations.

The statement earlier released by the internationally recognized ministry had warned residents in Houthi-controlled areas against attending such gatherings, accusing the Iran-backed rebels of using rallies and so-called “cultural courses” to mobilize supporters and recruit children for combat. These activities are among the Houthis’ main tools for rallying support and fighters.

Strikes by Israel's army killed at least one person in southern Gaza Friday morning, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas militant.

More than a year after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal, Israel continues to bombard Gaza.

More than 1,500 Palestinians there have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire began in October 2025, according to the territory’s health ministry. The ministry maintains detailed records and is regarded as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Part of the Hamas-run government, the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up nearly half of those killed.

This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.