Hebron Families Evicted Ahead of Vote
Bulldozers destroyed homes near a checkpoint after two soldiers were killed, days before Israeli elections.
By Naledi Dlamini ·
Hundreds of Palestinian families in Hebron were forced from their homes on Friday afternoon as Israeli military bulldozers began flattening structures near a checkpoint. The demolitions followed an attack that left two soldiers dead and three others wounded. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the destruction of the area in a televised address from the site, stating, "We will act to demolish this place, to change it completely."
Netanyahu described the upcoming military operation as being on a scale not seen since the Six Day War in 1967. He drew a parallel to last year’s assault on two Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank, which displaced tens of thousands. Human Rights Watch labeled those expulsions war crimes, a charge Israel rejects.
The Israeli military reported that soldiers were behind concrete barriers when two gunmen opened fire. The firefight lasted approximately 20 minutes before troops killed the attackers. B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, urged foreign governments to intervene to prevent what it called another wave of ethnic cleansing and war crimes.
The violence occurs against a backdrop of increased settler activity and land seizures in the West Bank. The United Nations Human Rights Office has described the current situation as a new level of dehumanization for Palestinians. Israel has also implemented widespread closures in Hebron, the most populous city in the occupied territory. The state currently maintains 925 checkpoints, roadblocks, and barriers that restrict movement.
National elections are scheduled for October 27, four days after the checkpoint attack. Polls indicate a tight race between Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, with neither leader holding enough support to form a government. Analysts suggest the scale of the response is designed to project strength to voters.
Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, noted that Netanyahu’s strategy relies on presenting himself as the country’s protector. He called the eviction of families from the attackers' neighborhood, without evidence linking them to the gunmen, collective punishment. Citrinowicz argued that stability comes from giving hope and arresting specific individuals rather than punishing entire communities.
Source: NPR
