Israeli Military Imposes Strict West Bank Closures and Mass Displacements Following Hebron Attack
The Israeli military continued a large-scale security operation across the occupied West Bank, enforcing severe movement restrictions and closing crossings ahead of Israel’s upcoming national elections. The military campaign follows a gun attack in Hebron on Friday that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and left three others wounded.
In the wake of the shooting, all entrances and exits to Hebron have remained sealed, concentrating operations in areas including Deir Bahha and Al-Jalda. According to Hebron Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari, the blockade has severely disrupted daily life across the municipality. Hebron municipal officials reported that more than 2,200 people, including nearly 200 children under the age of 18, have been displaced over the past two days as soldiers raided numerous homes and restricted press coverage in the city.
The Israeli military stated that its forces operated across more than 400 locations over the weekend, resulting in the arrests of 40 Palestinians whom the military accused of being affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In addition to local lockdowns, authorities announced that most Palestinian workers holding permits would be barred from entering Israeli settlements for work on Sunday and Monday. Crossings into Israel are slated to remain closed until the conclusion of Tuesday’s parliamentary elections.
The upcoming election is widely viewed as a critical referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and his administration’s security policies over three years of conflict. Netanyahu, alongside three members of his right-wing cabinet, visited the site of Friday’s attack to deliver statements vowing a forceful military response. Netanyahu, who is seeking reelection and has secured an endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump, faces intense political pressure to project a robust security posture to voters.
Violence in the West Bank has escalated significantly this year. Data from the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry indicates that 112 Palestinians have been killed in the territory during this period, while six Israelis have died in attacks. The West Bank, occupied by Israel during the 1967 Mideast war, is home to roughly 3 million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers. Hebron remains one of the territory’s most volatile flashpoints, housing Jewish settlers within a densely populated Palestinian urban center under military protection.
