Hebron Homes Fall To Bulldozers

The West Bank city of Hebron has long served as a flashpoint between Israeli forces and Palestinian residents, a tension that reached a new peak this week. On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a large-scale military operation following the fatal shooting of two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint. The attack, which also wounded three other servicemembers, triggered an immediate and aggressive response from the Israel Defense Forces.

Local officials report that the operation has resulted in the displacement of at least 200 families. The army sealed off the city, restricting the movement of its 200,000 residents. In the neighborhoods of Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa, bulldozers leveled streets and structures. Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari stated that homes, businesses, and industrial sites suffered damage, with houses marked for demolition by spray paint. He estimated the military aims to displace 2,500 people from an area of 0.35 square kilometers.

The timing of the offensive coincides with a critical moment in Israeli politics. General elections are scheduled for next Tuesday. Netanyahu, whose campaign emphasizes security, cancelled his party’s Friday morning events to travel to Hebron. Arriving in protective armor, he posted a video from the site where he declared the military would evacuate residents and destroy terrorist infrastructure house by house. He also referenced plans for the largest West Bank operation since 1967, though he did not specify a timeline for that broader campaign.

The Palestinian Authority and Israeli politicians have reacted with varying degrees of urgency. The Authority called for international action beyond mere condemnation to stop the forced displacement. Within the Israeli government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocated for a campaign similar to those in Gaza and Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, calling for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. The IDF stated in a social media post that it had dozens of targets in the West Bank and that operations would continue for several days.

Al-Jaabari told journalists that the operation was driven by the upcoming elections. He argued that Netanyahu and his ministers were seeking to secure votes from the far right and settler communities. The mayor noted that dozens of families were forced to spend the night outdoors, with some residents told to leave without their vehicles. The military did not immediately answer requests for comment, leaving the full scope of the destruction to be assessed by local leaders and witnesses.