Hebron Demolition: Military Razes Homes After Checkpoint Ambush
Prime Minister Netanyahu orders extensive action in the West Bank city as Israel prepares for elections in four days.
By Layla Fontaine ·
Demolition crews began tearing down Palestinian structures in Hebron on Friday, an immediate military response to the shooting death of two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint. The operation targets the specific neighborhood from which the attackers emerged, a move Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a complete transformation of the area. Hebron’s population of approximately 200,000 residents now sits behind new security cordons that also encircle the nearby city of Halhul.
The violence began when two armed gunmen left a vehicle and opened fire on soldiers at a checkpoint outside the city. Footage verified by the BBC shows the men carrying a handgun and an assault rifle during the intense exchange of gunfire. Both attackers were killed in the shootout, while three other soldiers sustained injuries. Officials stated that the military discovered a large quantity of ammunition in the vehicle, suggesting the gunmen may have intended to strike the nearby Route 35 but encountered the checkpoint earlier than planned.
Netanyahu, speaking from the scene, declared that Israel was prepared for extensive action in the occupied West Bank. He compared the upcoming measures to previous operations in refugee camps that displaced thousands of people. The Prime Minister also revealed that he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the region in decades, though he did not specify when it would begin. He emphasized that the military would demolish the neighborhood where the attackers originated.
The incident has injected urgency into the national election campaign, which concludes in four days. Netanyahu’s Likud party, which bases its platform on security promises, canceled campaign events scheduled for Friday morning. Far-right allies intensified their rhetoric in response to the shooting. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a West Bank campaign similar to operations in Gaza or Lebanon, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.
Political tensions flared on Thursday when Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused opposition leaders of undermining the government by criticizing Netanyahu’s earlier warnings of a potential attack. Katz stated that those leaders would be responsible for any future security breaches. Opposition figures, including poll leader Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, offered condolences to the soldiers' families and praised the troops who neutralized the gunmen.
The attack occurred during a period of heightened tension in the West Bank, where extremist Jewish settlers have targeted Palestinians during the annual olive harvest. The United Nations reports that at least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the territory since the start of the year. Four Israelis, comprising security personnel and civilians, were also killed by Palestinians in the same period, a count that excludes the two soldiers killed in the latest checkpoint ambush.
Israeli rights groups have long criticized the demolition of homes belonging to suspects as a form of collective punishment. The military practice remains a standard procedure following attacks on Israelis. The cordons around Hebron and Halhul restrict movement for hundreds of thousands of residents as the political and military responses unfold.
