In brief
Israeli troops have begun a sweeping demolition campaign in Hebron, razing homes and businesses in the wake of an attack that killed two soldiers. The operation, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aims to remove suspected weapons and "terrorist infrastructure" and targets the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhoods. Nearly 200 families have been forced to leave their homes, with the mayor of Hebron saying up to 2,500 residents may eventually be displaced. Israeli officials claim the demolitions are a response to security threats, while Palestinian authorities and rights groups label the practice as collective punishment. The campaign comes as Israel heads into a general election, heightening tensions and bringing international scrutiny.
The Israeli military has launched a sweeping crackdown in the occupied West Bank, demolishing homes and businesses in the city of Hebron and displacing hundreds of families, according to local officials.
Footage shared online showed destruction caused by Israeli bulldozers, with at least one whole street appearing to have been flattened. The military has also cordoned off the city, heavily restricting the movement of its 200,000 residents.
The operation was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, in response to the killing of two Israeli soldiers by two Palestinian gunmen in an attack on a checkpoint. Three other Israeli soldiers were injured, and the gunmen were also killed.
Netanyahu said on Friday that buildings around the site of the attack and the neighbourhoods that the two gunmen were from would be "destroyed".
Hebron's Mayor Youssef al‑Jaabari said more than 1,000 people had been displaced by the operation which had been centred on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al‑Hawa neighbourhoods, and targeted homes, businesses, industrial sites and infrastructure.
He said dozens of families had been forced to spend the night outside, with some told to leave without taking their vehicles, while homes were marked for demolition with spray paint.
He added that he believed the military planned to displace a total of 2,500 people from about 0.35 sq km of urban land. The city's governor and deputy mayor meanwhile said at least 200 families had been displaced.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had dozens of targets across the West Bank and that its operations would last for several days.
Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities called for urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement and accused the operation of constituting collective punishment. The far‑right ministers in Netanyahu's coalition have urged a hard‑line stance against the Palestinian Authority and settlement expansion.
