Israeli Army Displaces 2,500 Hebron Residents as Election Nears

Residents of Hebron in the occupied West Bank are facing immediate displacement and restricted movement as the Israeli military conducts a large-scale demolition operation. The army has sealed off the city, limiting the movement of its 200,000 inhabitants. Local officials report that hundreds of families have been forced to leave their homes, with at least one entire street leveled by bulldozers.

The operation targets the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhoods. According to Hebron’s Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari, the military intends to displace 2,500 people from an area of roughly 0.35 square kilometers. The city's governor and deputy mayor confirmed that at least 200 families were displaced. Dozens of families spent the night outdoors, some without their vehicles, while buildings were marked for demolition with spray paint.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the operation on Friday after two Israeli soldiers were killed and three wounded in an attack on a checkpoint. Both Palestinian gunmen were killed in the incident. Netanyahu stated that buildings near the attack site and the neighbourhoods associated with the gunmen would be destroyed. He cancelled his party’s campaign events for Friday morning to travel to Hebron, where he wore protective armour and posted a video from the scene.

Netanyahu described the mission as evacuating residents, removing weapons, and destroying terrorist infrastructure. He also said he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967, though he did not specify a timeline for that initiative. In an interview released on Saturday, he threatened a major surprise for the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the territory.

The timing coincides with Israel’s general election, scheduled for four days from Friday. Netanyahu’s campaign emphasizes security, and he framed the military action as a response to the recent violence. Israeli rights groups have criticized the practice of demolishing homes linked to attacks as a form of collective punishment. The Prime Minister compared the current operation to earlier 2025 campaigns in northern Palestinian refugee camps, where hundreds of homes were destroyed and tens of thousands of people were displaced.

Reactions within the Israeli government have been sharp. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged a campaign in the West Bank similar to those in Gaza or Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority requested urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement, moving beyond verbal condemnation.

Mayor al-Jaabari stated that the operation was driven by the elections. He said Netanyahu and his ministers were attempting to secure votes from the far right and settlers. The Israel Defense Forces said in a social media statement that it had dozens of targets across the West Bank and that operations would continue for several days.