West Bank District Flattened Before Vote

Hundreds of families in Hebron were forced from their homes this weekend after Israeli military units flattened a significant portion of the city's Ein Deir Baha district. Local officials describe the aggressive operation as a direct response to a deadly militant attack on an army checkpoint nearby. The destruction was extensive, with officials reporting that the affected zone spans roughly 86 acres.

The Hebron municipality stated that approximately 1,500 people had been displaced by Saturday afternoon. The city, which has a population of 250,000, was sealed off with checkpoints at all entry points. Video footage circulating online showed entire blocks of buildings reduced to rubble. In one clip, soldiers marked Palestinian homes with black crosses, while another showed a bulldozer dismantling a stone wall. A large residential building, reportedly owned by a prominent local family, was draped in Israeli flags and converted into a temporary military command post.

The military action followed an incident on Friday when two gunmen attacked an Israeli checkpoint outside the city. A twenty-minute firefight ensued, resulting in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and both attackers, with three additional soldiers injured. Authorities alleged that the gunmen were from the Ein Deir Baha district, which is now the center of the demolition zone.

National elections are scheduled for four days from now. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the attack site and pledged a strong retaliatory response. Netanyahu stated that Israel would move to destroy the location. Smotrich, who is running for office with a smaller coalition party, was filmed in body armor overseeing demolitions. He claimed to have ordered the immediate removal of a row of structures he described as illegal and called for a comprehensive military campaign similar to those conducted in Gaza and Lebanon.

Local civil rights activist Issa Amro criticized the operation, noting that his own sister's family was among those evicted. He described the situation as collective punishment for an event the local population did not support. Amro questioned whether the actions were purely for election propaganda or part of a larger strategic plan. He noted that hundreds of displaced families had no connection to the Friday attack.

The municipality reported that about 300 families had been formally evicted. Many are staying with relatives, while others are housed in community halls and children's play areas. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israel intends to displace another 2,500 people in the coming days. The Israeli army was contacted for comment regarding the scale of the destruction but had not responded as of this writing.