Hebron district flattened as Israel prepares for vote

The West Bank city of Hebron is currently sealed off with checkpoints controlling every entry point, a measure that isolates its 250,000 residents from surrounding areas.

Military forces have destroyed or marked for destruction 35 hectares, roughly 86 acres, in the Ein Deir Baha district. Local authorities estimate that approximately 1,500 people have been forced to leave their homes by Saturday afternoon. The Hebron municipality reported that around 300 families have been evicted, with the city opening community halls and children's play areas to provide temporary shelter for those displaced.

The operation followed a shooting on Friday at an Israeli military checkpoint outside the city. Two gunmen attacked the post, resulting in a 20 minute gunfight. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three were wounded during the exchange, while both attackers were also killed. Authorities alleged that the Ein Deir Baha district, now under heavy demolition, was the home district of the gunmen.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the checkpoint site after the attack. Netanyahu stated that Israel would act to destroy the location. Smotrich, who is running for election with a smaller coalition party, was filmed in body armour in front of a Palestinian building being demolished. He said he had ordered the immediate demolition of a wide row of structures adjacent to the attack site and called for a comprehensive military campaign similar to operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

Residents shared videos showing the extent of the damage, including bulldozers pulling down stone walls and soldiers spraying black crosses on houses. One video showed a large residential building belonging to a prominent local family draped in Israeli flags and used as a temporary military headquarters. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israel plans to displace a further 2,500 people in the coming days.

Issa Amro, a civil rights activist in Hebron, described the operation as collective punishment. He said his sister's family was among those driven from their homes and that hundreds of other families had no connection to the Friday attack. Amro noted that the suffering of residents is being used as political material for the upcoming election. The Israeli army has been approached for comment on the operations and the videos of the destruction.

National elections are scheduled to take place in four days. The timing of the demolitions has drawn scrutiny from local leaders who argue that the displacement serves a strategic purpose for the current government ahead of the vote.