Higazi Shawer al-Tamimi, a 70-year-old shopkeeper and neighbourhood leader in Hebron, said soldiers woke him at 1:00 am and ordered him to leave his home. When he asked how long the evacuation would last, he said they replied: “Until further notice.” His 90-year-old mother-in-law, who is ill, had to be carried out.
Israel will close all West Bank land crossings on Tuesday, the day of its election, as its military operation around Hebron continues after a Friday attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. Palestinian workers will be barred from entering settlements on Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Forces said there would be a ban on Palestinian workers entering and leaving throughout Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley on Tuesday. Most Palestinian workers were already to be barred from settlements from Sunday, apart from those in industrial zones and a limited number of other areas.
The restrictions follow an attack near Hebron on Friday in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. The gunmen were killed in the attack. The attack was described as taking place at a checkpoint near Hebron.
Benjamin Netanyahu announced a major operation in response, saying it would be on a scale unseen since Israel first occupied the West Bank in 1967. The military cordoned off Hebron, heavily limiting movement for the city’s 200,000 residents.
Israeli forces have demolished homes and businesses in the city, displacing hundreds of families. Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said about 2,000 residents had been displaced. Hebron’s mayor, Youssef al-Jaabari, said the city and several neighbouring villages were under a complete blockade and that about 2,200 people had been forced from their homes.
Katz said evacuated residents “will not be allowed to return... until we've finished dealing with all the Hamas issues in Hebron”.
Over Friday and Saturday, the Israeli army said it operated in 40 areas across the West Bank. Israeli forces apprehended approximately 40 suspects, including people affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Al-Jaabari said the operation was being driven by the elections. Netanyahu faces a tight race in Tuesday’s Knesset election.
The escalating operation has also unfolded alongside reported tensions over Iran. On Sunday night, Channel 12 News reported a confrontation between Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, at Palmachim Air Force base. Netanyahu told military officials: “You will suffer disproportionate blows, stronger than you can imagine.”
Netanyahu also said: “I instructed the Mossad and the IDF to bring down this regime, because that is the only way to put an end to this threat.” Zamir reportedly warned that a recent order could trigger a confrontation with Iran and demanded that Netanyahu approve it in writing. Israel Defense Forces officials fear Netanyahu may seek to strike Iran before the election.
Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, said: “I see the polls, I know the data, and I know Netanyahu – he will stop at nothing, no lie and no extreme measure, to remain in power.”
Before the Hamas-led attack on Israel of October 7, 2023, more than 100,000 Palestinian workers were permitted to enter Israel. On Tuesday, as the crossings close, the operation in Hebron and the restrictions on workers will continue alongside the election.
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