Israeli forces entered the West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday, displacing up to 250 Palestinian families — some in the middle of the night — as part of a sweeping security operation launched after two Israeli soldiers were killed at a nearby checkpoint on Friday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a response on a scale not seen since Israel first occupied the West Bank in 1967. The crackdown comes just days before Tuesday’s general election, in which Netanyahu faces a tight contest against an opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
In the Ein Dir Baha neighbourhood, situated between two hills, buildings were marked with X’s indicating they had been cleared of residents. Streets in the area were deserted except for Israeli military vehicles. Approximately one-third of Hebron has been targeted, according to Governor Khaled Dudin, who characterized the measures as collective punishment against civilians uninvolved in the attack.
While Dudin placed the number of affected families at 150, Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari and local activist Issa Amro estimated the figure at 250. The mayor pledged to secure shelter and assistance for those displaced.
Israel Signals Extended Operation Ahead of Tuesday’s Election
The Israeli military described the operation as “precise, targeted and thorough searches” focused on the area from which the two gunmen — both killed in the Friday gunfight — originated. Officials indicated the operation would last several days, consistent with previous responses to fatal attacks.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for dismantling the Palestinian Authority, the semi-autonomous body governing parts of the West Bank under 1990s peace accords. When asked whether he supported such a move, Netanyahu — Israel’s longest-serving prime minister — highlighted his record of rejecting pressure from three U.S. presidents to advance a Palestinian state.
All vehicle gates into and out of Hebron were closed, forcing Palestinians to cross on foot while taxis queued at military checkpoints, according to Basma Radio, a Telegram channel monitoring road closures. The army did not respond to detailed inquiries about the operation’s scope.
Rights group Yesh Din documented 672 incidents of settler violence over the past 26 days, nearly half linked to the annual olive harvest — a culturally significant period that extremist settlers have repeatedly sought to disrupt.
Polls show Netanyahu neck-and-neck with Eisenkot, a centre-right former military chief who also opposes Palestinian statehood but has pledged to curb settler violence.