Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank with a population of 250,000, became the focus of Israeli military operations following a Friday gun attack at a military checkpoint that resulted in two soldier deaths. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the city to announce retribution, with Netanyahu pledging military operations of a scale unseen in the West Bank during nearly 60 years of occupation. The timing coincided with an upcoming national election, with two days of campaigning remaining.
The immediate response involved sealing off the entire city and systematically demolishing the Farsh al-Hawa neighborhood near the attack site, reducing an industrial area containing car workshops and manufacturing facilities to rubble. In a separate operation, the Ein Deir Baha district was emptied of residents through forced evacuations. According to local officials, 370 families comprising nearly 2,000 people were displaced from this neighborhood.
Residents reported receiving orders to vacate their homes with minimal warning. One local religious leader described being awakened by military loudspeaker announcements directing immediate evacuation. Another elderly resident stated he was given only 10 minutes to leave and was warned of consequences similar to those in Gaza. Following the evacuations, Israeli forces converted seized residences into military bases and administrative centers, with homes now displaying Israeli flags and surrounded by military vehicles.
The Israeli military stated that residents had voluntarily left and that many displaced persons were from a clan allegedly associated with a militant group. This characterization was disputed by locals, who questioned the accuracy of the military’s clan estimates and emphasized the diversity of the affected population. Hebron’s mayor characterized the operations as collective punishment, citing home seizures, media restrictions, and city closures as measures serving political objectives.
Road closures using heavy steel barriers restricted vehicle traffic throughout the city, while isolated incidents of violence against Palestinian drivers were reported. The displaced residents faced uncertainty regarding the duration of their displacement and access to their properties.
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