Hebron under siege as Israel orders mass demolitions after killing of two soldiers

Residents of Hebron and the nearby town of Halhul face a new phase of restrictions as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a siege on both areas on Friday. The decision follows a firefight near a checkpoint outside Hebron in which two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others were wounded. Netanyahu stated that all residents in the neighborhoods where the attackers lived would be forced to leave their homes. He also pledged widespread demolitions of properties in those areas.

The first demolition began within hours of the shooting. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure, filmed himself standing before a bulldozer as it destroyed a Palestinian home near the site of the engagement. Smotrich said the action, targeting a structure built without permits, was intended to create deterrence and impose a cost. He noted that no connection was established between the building's owners and the gunmen.

Legal challenges emerged immediately. Israel's high court issued a temporary order halting the demolitions shortly after the work started. Human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed an urgent petition on behalf of two factory owners in the vicinity. He argued that the actions violated international laws regarding collective punishment and Israeli administrative statutes. Dahleh described the move as an attempt to replicate illegal practices seen in Gaza within the core of the West Bank.

Michael Sfard, an Israeli lawyer, characterized Smotrich's video as a direct admission that the demolitions constituted collective punishment. Sfard pointed out that deterrence has served as a justification for such measures since ancient times. Defence Minister Israel Katz promised further mass demolitions and forced displacement, explicitly comparing the approach in Hebron to the treatment of the Jenin refugee camp, where nearly 20,000 people have been displaced.

Katz stated that every clan neighborhood in Hebron from which terrorists emerged would be evacuated of its residents. Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, home to approximately 250,000 people. Netanyahu said plans were in place for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967. He indicated that no specific date had been set, but the operation was imminent.

The Israeli military reported that the attack was carried out by two men armed with an assault rifle and a handgun. They were driving a vehicle with Israeli number plates and opened fire after soldiers stopped them at a temporary checkpoint. Both men were killed in a gunfight that lasted 20 minutes. An AFP photographer who witnessed the exchange reported seeing two Palestinian men firing at Israeli forces with a handgun and an automatic rifle.

Political tensions rose as prominent Israelis, including a candidate for the far-right Amcha Yisrael party, shared theories linking the photographer to the gunmen. The Foreign Press Association expressed deep alarm, calling the claims dangerous and defamatory. The association described the photographer as a long-time professional who documented events in accordance with his duties. This incident followed a case a week earlier in which settlers severely injured photographer Heidi Levine while she documented attacks on Palestinians harvesting olives.

The West Bank has seen increased settlement expansion and violence against Palestinians since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. More than 1,100 people have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers during this period. Attacks have intensified since the olive harvest began in late September. Polls suggest the governing far-right coalition, which supports settlers, may lose its majority in elections scheduled for Tuesday. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Hebron on Friday, demanding the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and tighter limits on Palestinian movement.