Netanyahu orders siege of Hebron after soldiers killed

Residents of Hebron and the nearby town of Halhul now face a siege and potential forced removal from their homes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced these measures on Friday after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three others near a checkpoint outside the city.

Netanyahu stated that all residents from the neighborhoods where the attackers originated would be compelled to leave. He promised widespread demolition of structures. The first building was dismantled within hours of the initial gunfire, as government ministers arrived at the scene. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich filmed himself standing before a bulldozer destroying a Palestinian home near the site. He described the action as a way to create deterrence and exact a price. No connection was established between the building owners and the gunmen.

The Israeli high court issued a temporary order to stop the demolitions shortly after work commenced. Human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed an urgent petition on behalf of two factory owners. He argued the actions violated international law regarding collective punishment and Israeli administrative law. Dahleh said the move attempted to replicate illegal practices seen in Gaza within the West Bank. Michael Sfard, an Israeli lawyer, called Smotrich's video a direct admission that the demolitions constituted collective punishment.

Defence Minister Israel Katz outlined plans for further displacement. He compared the treatment of Hebron to the Jenin refugee camp, where nearly 20,000 people have been displaced. Katz said every clan neighborhood associated with the attackers would be evacuated. Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, has approximately 250,000 residents. Netanyahu indicated that a major military operation, the largest in the West Bank since 1967, is being planned but has no set date.

The Israeli military reported that two men armed with an assault rifle and a handgun carried out the attack. They drove a vehicle with Israeli license plates and opened fire after being stopped at the temporary checkpoint. Both men were killed during a 20-minute firefight. An AFP photographer witnessed the exchange. Prominent Israelis, including a candidate for the far-right Amcha Yisrael party, later shared unverified theories linking the photographer to the gunmen. The Foreign Press Association described these claims as dangerous and defamatory.

Violence in the occupied West Bank has increased since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023. More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers during that period. Attacks have intensified since the olive harvest began in late September. Polls suggest the governing far-right coalition may lose its majority in elections held on Tuesday. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Hebron on Friday and demanded the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.