96 Palestinians killed in West Bank as Hebron demolitions begin
Israeli forces began razing structures in Hebron on Thursday after two soldiers were shot dead at a checkpoint, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating the military would completely transform the area.
By Gabriela Flores ·
Israeli military crews began demolishing Palestinian buildings in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday. The operation followed a shooting incident at a checkpoint outside the city where two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others were wounded. Both Palestinian gunmen who carried out the attack were shot dead.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene and stated that the military would demolish the neighborhood from which the attackers emerged. He described the planned actions as extensive and compared them to previous operations in West Bank refugee camps that displaced thousands of residents. Netanyahu also revealed that he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank in decades, though he did not provide a specific timeline for its launch.
The Prime Minister imposed security cordons around Hebron, a city with approximately 200,000 residents, and the nearby town of Halhul. Military officials reported finding a large quantity of ammunition inside the vehicle used by the attackers. The military believes the gunmen intended to target Route 35 but engaged the checkpoint after encountering it.
The incident has intensified political tensions ahead of the national election scheduled for four days later. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a campaign in the West Bank similar to operations in Gaza and Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. Conversely, Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused opposition leaders of undermining the government by criticizing prior warnings of an attack.
Opposition figures, including Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, offered condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers. Rights groups in Israel have long criticized the practice of demolishing homes of suspected attackers as a form of collective punishment. The recent violence coincides with the annual olive harvest, a period when extremist Jewish settlers have increased their targeting of Palestinians.
According to the United Nations, at least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the beginning of the year. Over the same period, four Israelis, including security personnel and civilians, have been killed by Palestinians. This tally does not include the two soldiers who died in the Hebron checkpoint attack.
Source: BBC News
