Hebron Residents Face Eviction Amid Military Push

Residents of Hebron in the occupied West Bank are finding their homes gone and their movement restricted. Local officials say a major military operation has forced hundreds of families to leave their properties. The change is immediate and disruptive for daily life in the city.

Israeli bulldozers have leveled at least one entire street. Video shared online shows the extent of the destruction. The Israel Defense Forces sealed off the city, limiting movement for its 200,000 inhabitants. The army stated it has dozens of targets across the West Bank. It said the operations would last for several days.

The campaign began on Friday after two Israeli soldiers were killed at a checkpoint. Two Palestinian gunmen carried out the attack. Three other soldiers were wounded in the incident. Both gunmen were killed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the operation following the incident. He stated that buildings near the attack site would be destroyed. He also said the neighborhoods where the gunmen came from would be targeted.

Youssef al-Jaabari, the mayor of Hebron, said the focus is on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa areas. Homes, businesses, and industrial sites have been hit. Infrastructure is also damaged. Dozens of families spent the night outdoors. Some were told to leave without their vehicles. Houses were marked for demolition with spray paint. The mayor believes the military intends to displace 2,500 people. This would affect roughly 0.35 square kilometers of urban land. The city’s governor and deputy mayor confirmed that at least 200 families have already been displaced.

Demolishing the homes of Palestinians suspected of attacks is a common practice in the West Bank. Israeli rights groups have criticized this approach as collective punishment. Netanyahu compared the current operation to earlier campaigns in the north. In 2025, the military destroyed hundreds of homes in refugee camps. Tens of thousands of people were displaced during those operations.

The timing of the operation is close to the Israeli general election, which is four days away. Netanyahu’s campaign focuses on a promise of security. He canceled his party’s campaign events on Friday morning. He traveled to Hebron wearing protective armor. He posted a video from the scene. He said, "We will evacuate the residents, go house to house, remove the weapons we find there, and deal with and destroy all terrorist infrastructure."

Netanyahu also mentioned plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967. He did not specify when it might happen. It is unclear if the Hebron operation is part of those plans. In an interview with i24 television channel released on Saturday, he threatened a "very big surprise" for the Palestinian Authority. The Authority governs parts of the territory.

The Palestinian Authority called for urgent international action. It said this action should go beyond mere condemnation. The goal is to prevent further forced displacement. Within the Israeli government, reactions have been strong. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged a campaign in the West Bank similar to those in Gaza or Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. Mayor al-Jaabari told journalists that the operation is driven by the elections. He said Netanyahu and his ministers are trying to win votes from the far right and settlers.