IDF Levels Hebron Blocks as Netanyahu Seeks Security Votes

The Israel Defense Forces demolished homes, businesses, and infrastructure in the West Bank city of Hebron, displacing 2,500 residents. The operation began on Friday, four days before the general election, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the sweep following a fatal checkpoint attack. Local officials stated that military bulldozers leveled at least one entire street and sealed off the city, limiting movement for its 200,000 residents.

The trigger for the operation was an attack on a checkpoint where two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. Both gunmen were killed in the engagement. Netanyahu announced the demolition of buildings near the attack site and the neighborhoods where the gunmen originated. He stated that the goal was to remove weapons and destroy terrorist infrastructure. The prime minister traveled to Hebron wearing protective armor and canceled his party's campaign events for Friday morning to oversee the start of the operation.

Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari said the military focused on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighborhoods. He reported that dozens of families were forced to sleep outdoors, with some ordered to leave without their vehicles. Houses were marked for demolition with spray paint. The city governor and deputy mayor confirmed that at least 200 families had been displaced. Al-Jaabari estimated the military targeted roughly 0.35 square kilometers of urban land.

The timing of the demolitions drew immediate criticism. Al-Jaabari told journalists that the operation was driven by the elections, claiming Netanyahu sought votes from the far right and settlers. The prime minister’s campaign emphasizes security. He compared the Hebron operation to campaigns in northern refugee camps in 2025, where the military displaced tens of thousands. Israeli rights groups have long criticized the practice of demolishing homes of suspected attackers as collective punishment.

Netanyahu said he reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967 but did not specify a date. In an interview with i24 television, he threatened a big surprise for the Palestinian Authority. Within the Israeli government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged a campaign similar to those in Gaza or Lebanon, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority requested urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a social media statement that it had dozens of targets across the West Bank. The military indicated that operations would continue for several days. The army did not immediately answer a request for comment regarding the specific scope of the Hebron demolitions.