Hebron Crisis: 2,500 Residents Face Displacement as Army Begins Demolition

Israeli military bulldozers leveled at least one entire street in Hebron, displacing hundreds of families as the country’s general election approaches in four days. Local officials confirmed the start of a large-scale operation that has sealed off the city, restricting the movement of its 200,000 residents.

Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari stated that the military aims to displace 2,500 people from approximately 0.35 square kilometers of urban land. The city’s governor and deputy mayor reported that at least 200 families have already been displaced. Al-Jaabari noted that the operation targets the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighborhoods, hitting homes, businesses, and industrial sites. He described scenes of residents sleeping outdoors, some without their vehicles, while houses were marked for destruction with spray paint.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the operation on Friday. He said buildings near the site of a recent checkpoint attack, along with the neighborhoods where the gunmen came from, would be destroyed. Netanyahu traveled to Hebron wearing protective armor and posted a video from the scene. He stated the goal was to evacuate residents, search house to house for weapons, and destroy terrorist infrastructure.

The operation follows an attack on a checkpoint where two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others wounded by two Palestinian gunmen. Both gunmen were killed in the exchange. The Israel Defense Forces said in a social media statement that it had dozens of targets across the West Bank and that operations would continue for several days. The army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Netanyahu compared the current action to campaigns in 2025 that displaced tens of thousands from refugee camps in the north. He also revealed he had reviewed plans for the largest West Bank operation since 1967, though he did not specify when it would begin. In an interview with i24 television, he promised a very big surprise for the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority called for urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement. Within the Israeli government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged a campaign similar to those in Gaza or Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. Al-Jaabari told journalists the operation was driven by the elections, aiming to win votes from the far right and settlers.

Footage shared online showed the damage from the bulldozers. The city remains sealed off as the military continues its sweep through the targeted districts.