Israeli forces have demolished homes and businesses and displaced hundreds of families in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack, officials and reports say. The Hebron demolitions and displacement come days before Israel’s general election.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three wounded in an attack at a checkpoint near Hebron on Friday, according to BBC World. The two attackers were also killed.
Israel Katz said about 2,000 residents had been displaced by the Hebron operation, which centred on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhoods, BBC World reported. Footage shared by the BBC showed at least one whole street appearing flattened by bulldozers. The BBC said the footage was shared online and has not been independently verified.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Israeli forces had detained at least 47 Palestinians across Hebron since Friday and displaced 293 families, about 2,200 people, according to Al Jazeera. The sources do not independently confirm these figures.
Displacement figures vary. According to BBC World, the governor and deputy mayor put the number at at least 200 families. Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari believes 2,500 people will be displaced in total from an area of about 0.35 square kilometres, BBC World reported.
Netanyahu said buildings near the attack site and the neighbourhoods the gunmen came from would be destroyed, and that residents would be evacuated and searched house to house. He also said he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967, without saying when it could be carried out, BBC World reported.
The BBC reports that it is common practice for Israeli forces to demolish the homes of Palestinians suspected of attacks. Israeli rights groups have criticised the practice as collective punishment. Hebron’s mayor said the operation was driven by the elections, a claim the BBC attributes to him.
Accounts of the attack differ. SCMP (Hong Kong) and BBC World describe an attack at a checkpoint near Hebron. Al Jazeera describes an attack on an Israeli army reserve base on Friday and attributes it, allegedly, to two armed Palestinian men. Al Jazeera’s account of Hebron’s barracks and observation posts relies on Wafa citing unnamed sources.
Israel said on Sunday it will close all West Bank land crossings on the day of next week’s election, according to SCMP (Hong Kong). SCMP also reported that Hamas hailed the killings without claiming credit.
The key facts about the attack and the demolitions rely mainly on BBC World. The IDF did not respond immediately to the BBC’s request for comment, and no Israeli military response to the displacement figures has been reported. No source confirms whether the Hebron operation is part of the larger planned West Bank operation.
Israel’s operations in Hebron are expected to last several days, according to the IDF. Netanyahu has threatened a larger operation with no set date. The Palestinian Authority has called for international action, and the sources include no other Palestinian Authority or Hamas response.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.