Hebron District Cleared of 1,500 Residents in Pre-Election Sweep

Israeli military forces completed a two-day demolition operation in the Ein Deir Baha district of Hebron, West Bank, displacing approximately 1,500 residents as the country prepares for elections on Sunday. The Hebron municipality confirmed that 35 hectares, or 86 acres, of the urban area were either destroyed or marked for destruction by Saturday afternoon. The city, home to 250,000 people, remained sealed behind checkpoints on all entry points during the sweep.

The operation followed a Friday attack on an Israeli army checkpoint outside the city. Two gunmen opened fire, killing two soldiers and wounding three others in a 20-minute gunfight. Both militants were killed. Local authorities described the subsequent razing of Ein Deir Baha, the alleged home district of the attackers, as collective punishment.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the attack site and pledged a severe response. Netanyahu stated that Israel would act to destroy the location. Smotrich, a candidate for a smaller coalition party, was filmed in body armor while a Palestinian building was demolished. He said he ordered the immediate demolition of a row of illegal structures next to the attack site and called for a comprehensive military campaign similar to those conducted in Gaza and Lebanon.

Videos from residents showed extensive damage. Footage captured soldiers spray-painting black crosses on homes, a bulldozer removing a stone wall on a hillside, and a large residential building draped in Israeli flags. Residents identified that building as belonging to a prominent local family, noting it had been converted into a temporary military headquarters.

A municipality spokesperson reported that about 300 families were evicted. Many sought shelter with relatives, while the city opened community halls and children's play areas to house others. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli plans include displacing an additional 2,500 people. Issa Amro, a local civil rights activist, said his sister's family was among those displaced. He argued that the suffering was being used as political material for the upcoming vote.

Amro noted in a telephone interview that hundreds of families had left the area despite having no connection to the checkpoint attack. He expressed uncertainty about whether the operation was purely for election propaganda or part of a longer-term strategic plan. The Israeli army was contacted for comment regarding the scope of the destruction and the videos released by residents.