Hebron Residents Evicted as 35 Hectares Are Demolished Before Vote

For residents of Hebron, the immediate consequence of this week's military operations is displacement. The Hebron municipality reports that approximately 1,500 people were forced from their homes in the Ein Deir Baha district by Saturday afternoon. The city, home to 250,000 people, has been sealed off with checkpoints established at every point of entry.

The destruction followed a violent encounter on Friday. Two gunmen attacked an Israeli military checkpoint outside Hebron. During a 20 minute gunfight, two Israeli soldiers were killed and three were wounded. Both attackers were also killed. Local authorities identified Ein Deir Baha as the home district of the gunmen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the checkpoint site shortly after the attack. Netanyahu stated that Israel would "act to destroy this place". Smotrich, who is running for election with a smaller coalition party, said he ordered "the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site". He called for a military campaign similar to those conducted in Gaza and Lebanon.

The Hebron municipality estimated that 35 hectares, or 86 acres, in the district were destroyed or marked for demolition. A spokesperson for the municipality said about 300 families were evicted. Some residents found shelter with relatives, while the municipality opened community halls and children's play areas to house others. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israel plans to displace a further 2,500 people.

Videos sent by a Hebron resident showed extensive damage. Footage depicted soldiers spraying black crosses on houses, a bulldozer pulling down a stone wall, and a large residential building draped in Israeli flags. Residents said that building belonged to a prominent family and had been taken over as a temporary military headquarters.

Issa Amro, a Hebron civil rights activist, described the operation as collective punishment. "We are being collectively punished for something we neither did nor supported," Amro said. He added that his sister's family was among those driven from their homes. Amro questioned whether the operation was election propaganda or a serious plan for the post-election period.

The Israeli army was approached for comment on the operations and the videos showing widespread destruction. Israeli elections are scheduled to take place in four days.

The source notes that the municipality's estimate covers the Ein Deir Baha district specifically, while the broader city remains sealed.