Israel says it thwarted 'terror attack,' and other Middle East
developments
[October 23, 2026]
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 army says it killed two gunmen, prevented “terror attack”
against Israelis
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 ask Israel's supreme court to ban election
observers from carrying guns
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.
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Israeli soldiers stand beside a wounded Palestinian man lying on a
road after soldiers shot him following a settler attack on
Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank village of
Abu Falah, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
UNICEF calls on Israel's military to stop killing children in
Gaza
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 retracts statement saying gatherings in Houthi-controlled
areas would be considered military targets
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.
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill one person
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.
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