Hebron Municipality Reports 1,500 Evictions After Two-Day Razing
Israeli forces destroyed 35 hectares in the Ein Deir Baha district following a fatal attack on a checkpoint, with national elections scheduled for this coming week.
By Pedro Barnes ·
Israeli troops completed a two-day demolition campaign in the West Bank city of Hebron, displacing approximately 1,500 residents as of Saturday afternoon. The Hebron municipality stated that 35 hectares, equivalent to 86 acres, in the Ein Deir Baha district were either destroyed or marked for destruction. The city, which has a population of 250,000, was sealed off with checkpoints at every entry point during the operation.
The military action followed a shooting incident on Friday at an army checkpoint outside the city. Two gunmen attacked the post, resulting in a 20-minute exchange of fire. Two Israeli soldiers died and three were wounded, while both attackers were killed. The Ein Deir Baha district is where the gunmen resided. Local Palestinian authorities described the subsequent destruction as collective punishment for the attack.
Videos circulated by residents showed extensive damage to urban blocks. One clip displayed soldiers painting black crosses on house walls. Another showed a bulldozer dismantling a stone wall on a hillside. A third video showed a large residential building draped in Israeli flags. Residents identified the building as the property of a prominent Hebron family, which had been converted into a temporary military headquarters.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the checkpoint site. With national elections set for four days later, Netanyahu said Israel would act to destroy the area. Smotrich, who is running in a smaller coalition, filmed himself in body armor during a demolition. He stated he ordered the immediate destruction of a row of structures near the attack site and called for a comprehensive military campaign similar to operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
A spokesperson for the municipality said about 300 families were evicted. Some residents found shelter with relatives, while others were housed in community halls and children's play areas. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israel intends to displace an additional 2,500 people in the coming days.
Issa Amro, a civil rights activist in Hebron, said his sister's family was among those forced out. He said, "We are being collectively punished for something we neither did nor supported." He added that the suffering of innocent families was being used as political material for the upcoming elections. Amro expressed uncertainty about whether the operation was purely for election propaganda or part of a post-election plan.
The Israeli army was contacted for comment regarding the scale of the destruction and the videos showing the marked homes. No response had been received as of Saturday evening.
