Hebron Lockdown Displaces 2,200 Palestinians as Israeli Raids Sweep 15 Areas

Yousef al-Ja'bari, Hebron's mayor, said 2,200 people have been driven from their homes since Israeli forces began hundreds of raids on Saturday. The operations followed an attack on Friday at an Israeli army reserve base in which two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen were killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a full lockdown of the West Bank after the incident.

Residents reported that soldiers used loudspeakers to announce evacuation orders late at night. Families had little time to gather belongings and few destinations to reach. Al-Ja'bari said that on Saturday the city permitted neither entry nor exit.

Israeli forces conducted raids in at least 15 West Bank locations on Saturday. The areas included Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Birzeit, occupied East Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society reported that about 70 Palestinians were arrested during the operations. Al Jazeera journalists documenting bulldozing of homes and vehicles near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint in Hebron were targeted by soldiers, who fired a stun grenade at them.

The Palestinian Authority described the measures as collective punishment, citing home demolitions, displacement of entire neighbourhoods and the closure and siege of Palestinian cities. The authority urged international intervention, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Hamas said in a statement that the campaigns against Palestinians would fuel further outrage.

Hebron city holds about 200,000 residents, and 600,000 more live in the surrounding governorate, the West Bank's most populous. Issa Amro, a Hebron-based activist and analyst, said the 800,000 people are now under siege with all entrances and exits closed. He said there is no safe place to hide inside the city.

Israeli parliamentary elections take place on October 27. Nour Odeh, an Al Jazeera correspondent, said Netanyahu, his Likud party and right-wing coalition allies trail in polls and are attempting to put up a brave front by saying they are combating Palestinians. Netanyahu did not say whether he plans to dismantle the Palestinian Authority but said a big surprise awaits the organisation.