The Israeli military has launched a massive operation in the occupied West Bank following a gun attack on Friday that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others at a checkpoint in Hebron. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy the area, announcing an operation on a scale not seen since Israel first occupied the West Bank in 1967.
In Hebron, Israeli troops have leveled a neighborhood in the district of Ein Deir Baha, driving out hundreds of families. Local authorities estimate that 35 hectares have been destroyed or marked for destruction, with approximately 2,000 residents displaced from their homes. The city of 250,000 people has been sealed off by checkpoints at every point of entry. The crackdown included the demolition of Palestinian businessman Riyad Mureish’s home and raids targeting at least 15 towns in the northern West Bank, including Nablus and Jenin, resulting in dozens of arrests.
This military escalation comes just days before Israeli parliamentary elections on Tuesday, which are viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership and security policies. In conjunction with the operation, Israel announced it will close all land crossings with the West Bank on election day.
The Palestinian Authority has called for international pressure on Israel as residents of Hebron report living in fear. Amid heightened tensions, evictions, raids, and outpost expansions continue across the occupied territory.