Netanyahu Orders Eviction of 250,000 Hebron Residents Following Checkpoint Killings

Israel has initiated a siege of Hebron and the adjacent town of Halhul. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement following a firefight that left two Israeli soldiers dead and three others wounded. The military operation marks the largest planned deployment in the West Bank since 1967, according to Netanyahu, though no specific date has been set for the full rollout of forces.

The conflict began at a temporary checkpoint outside Hebron. Two gunmen in a vehicle with Israeli license plates opened fire after being stopped. The exchange of gunfire lasted 20 minutes. Both attackers were killed during the skirmish. The Israeli military reported that the men carried an assault rifle and a handgun.

Netanyahu stated that residents of the neighborhoods where the gunmen lived would be forced to leave. He promised mass demolitions of homes in those areas. Defence Minister Israel Katz expanded on these plans, stating that every clan neighborhood from which the terrorists emerged would be evacuated. He drew a direct comparison to the treatment of the Jenin refugee camp, where nearly 20,000 people have been displaced.

Demolition work began within hours of the attack. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a video of himself standing in front of a bulldozer. The machine was tearing down a Palestinian home near the site of the firefight. Smotrich said the structure was built without permits. He described the demolition as a way to create deterrence and exact a price. No link was established between the home's owners and the attackers.

The high court of Israel issued a temporary order to halt the demolitions shortly after work commenced. Human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed an urgent petition on behalf of two nearby factory owners. He argued that the actions breached international law regarding collective punishment as well as Israeli administrative law. Dahleh stated that the government was attempting to copy illegal practices used in Gaza in the heart of the West Bank.

Michael Sfard, a leading Israeli lawyer, called Smotrich's video a direct admission of collective punishment. He noted that deterrence has historically been used to justify such measures. Katz and other officials continued to signal further displacement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also traveled to Hebron on Friday. He demanded the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and tighter limits on movement for Palestinians.

The incident has drawn scrutiny from the media. An AFP photographer witnessed the firefight while traveling to another assignment. He saw two Palestinian men with a handgun and an automatic rifle firing at Israeli forces. Prominent Israelis, including a candidate for the far-right Amcha Yisrael party, shared theories linking the photographer to the gunmen. The Foreign Press Association called these claims dangerous and defamatory. The association described the photographer as a longtime professional.

Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, with a population of about 250,000. The siege follows a surge in settlement expansion and violence since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in that period. Attacks have intensified since the olive harvest began in late September.

The governing far-right coalition, which backs settlers, may lose its majority in elections held on Tuesday. Polls suggest a potential shift in power. Ministers rushed to the scene of the shooting ahead of the vote. The military continues to prepare for the operation, with Netanyahu saying it is on the way.