Hebron sealed off as Israeli vote nears

Residents of Hebron have been confined to their neighborhoods or displaced from their homes since Friday. This military escalation coincides with Israeli elections scheduled for this week, creating a dual focus on domestic politics and territorial control. The closure of the West Bank city marks a sharp intensification of military activity in the region.

The operations began after two Palestinian gunmen attacked an army checkpoint at the northern entrance to Hebron. The attack killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. Following the deaths of the suspects, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the isolation of the city. He stated that troops would search the gunmen’s neighborhood house by house and declared an intention to change the area completely.

Data from the Hebron Municipality indicates that at least 3,171 Palestinians from 488 families have been forced out of their homes. This count covers the four days since the city entered closure on Friday. Defense Minister Israel Katz told residents they would not be permitted to return until all Hamas issues in Hebron are resolved. Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin reported that Israeli forces have searched more than 500 homes and arrested over 70 people.

The physical isolation of the city has been achieved through the installation of 128 closed gates and 120 checkpoints. These barriers fragment the urban area and restrict movement. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society states that the displaced group includes 127 infants, 81 pregnant women, and 26 people with disabilities. At least 47 individuals have been detained in the city since the operations began.

Destruction has accompanied the military search. Bulldozers demolished a three-apartment building owned by Riyad Amrish, along with a tile and ceramics factory and an auto-parts shop in the Farsh al-Hawa neighborhood. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reportedly ordered these demolitions. The Israeli NGO B’Tselem characterized the operation as collective punishment that could constitute war crimes.

Similar siege tactics are being applied at smaller scales across the West Bank. In Masafer Yatta, the family of Yusuf Shanaran has been blocked in for three weeks. In Madama, south of Nablus, residents are only now emerging from a two-week blockade of the village entrances. The Israeli army also barred Palestinian workers from settlements on Sunday and Monday, planning to close all crossings on election day.

The ongoing olive harvest has triggered 482 settler attacks across nine governorates. These incidents include theft of olives and equipment, assaults on farmers, and the burning of trees. In Burqa, settlers set fire to a memorial and the home of Jamal Bajes. A bulldozer uprooted hundreds of trees in Madama, while soldiers removed dozens in Deir Qaddis for a settler road. Residents were given 24 hours to object to similar removals in Khirbet Abu Falah.

In Gaza, daily attacks continued to claim lives. The Gaza Ministry of Health recorded 11 deaths in a single day this week, bringing the total since the October 2025 ceasefire to 1,559 killed. Hunger worsened as commercial crossings remained shut, leaving only seven of 20 bakeries open. Flour stocks ran out, and a tray of eggs reached a price of 60 shekels before an Egyptian committee delivered supplies on October 23.