Hundreds of Palestinian families have been left homeless after the Israeli military launched a wide scale demolition campaign in the city of Hebron. Local officials report that over 200 families have already been displaced, with footage showing entire streets reduced to rubble by bulldozers. The operation has effectively locked down the city, severely limiting movement for its 200,000 residents as military forces target residential homes, businesses and vital infrastructure within the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighborhoods.
The crackdown follows an attack at a checkpoint where two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others before being killed themselves. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly, declaring that any structures associated with the attackers or their neighborhoods would be destroyed. While the Israel Defense Forces stated that they are targeting multiple locations across the West Bank in an operation expected to last several days, Hebron’s Mayor Youssef al Jaabari warned that up to 2,500 people could eventually be forced from their homes.
This escalation comes at a volatile political moment, occurring just four days before Israel’s general election. Mr. Netanyahu has centered his campaign on national security and personally visited the site of the demolitions in protective armor. During his visit, he vowed to clear out terrorist infrastructure and hinted at a larger upcoming military strategy in the West Bank, even promising a surprise move against the Palestinian Authority. This approach has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups who view home demolitions as a form of collective punishment against civilians.
Local leadership in Hebron believes these aggressive tactics are designed to appeal to far right voters and settlers ahead of the polls. As figures like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich call for campaigns mirroring those in Gaza or Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority has urged the international community to intervene. They argue that simple condemnations are no longer enough to stop what they describe as systemic forced displacement in the occupied territories.