Israel said on October 25 that all West Bank land crossings will close on Tuesday, election day, as it tightens a Hebron lockdown after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army said a ban on entry and exit for Palestinian workers, including those in industrial zones, will also apply on Election Day, according to the BBC World.
According to Al Jazeera, the army said Palestinian workers will be barred from entering most West Bank areas from Sunday through Monday, with a full closure of crossings on Tuesday. The measures follow an October 23 attack in which Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three more, according to the Straits Times. The two gunmen were also killed.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said about 2,000 residents have been displaced and will not be allowed to return until "all the Hamas issues in Hebron" are dealt with, according to Al Jazeera. Israeli forces said they apprehended about 40 suspects during operations on October 23 and 24 in 40 areas, including people they described as terrorists affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to the Straits Times.
In an interview with i24, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened a "very big surprise" for the Palestinian Authority, according to the BBC World. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces a tight race in Tuesday’s election. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera say he is using regional conflicts and security fears to anchor his campaign.
The closures affect a workforce that has been sharply reduced. Before the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, more than 100,000 Palestinian workers were permitted to enter Israel, and only a small fraction have had permits restored since, according to the BBC World. Hebron city has about 200,000 residents and Hebron governorate about 600,000, the most populous area of the West Bank, according to Al Jazeera.
The displacement figure is disputed. Katz told Kan that about 2,000 people were displaced, while Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Ja’bari said on Saturday that 2,200 people had been forced from their homes, according to Al Jazeera. The Straits Times and BBC World describe the October 23 attack as taking place at a checkpoint near Hebron, while Al Jazeera describes it as an attack on an Israeli army reserve base in the city.
None of the displacement numbers has been independently verified. The army’s claim of about 40 suspects has no independent confirmation or detail on charges. Footage of a flattened street has been shared online but is not verified by the sources. Hamas did not claim the attack, and its praise is reported without further detail. No Israeli government response to the Palestinian Authority’s "collective punishment" accusation has been reported. The casualty and suspect figures rely on the Straits Times, and the key facts have not been confirmed by other outlets in this account.
The Israeli military says the Hebron operation will last several days, and Netanyahu has hinted at larger action. Israel votes on Tuesday.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.