Netanyahu orders Hebron demolition drive, displacing families

The Israeli military has sealed off Hebron, displacing hundreds of families after bulldozers demolished homes and businesses in two neighborhoods. The operation began on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the campaign following the killing of two soldiers at a checkpoint.

Footage shared online shows entire streets leveled by heavy machinery. The Israel Defense Forces stated on social media that it has dozens of targets across the West Bank and that operations will continue for several days. The army did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the specific scope of the Hebron operation.

The attack that triggered the response left two soldiers dead and three others wounded. Both Palestinian gunmen were killed in the exchange. Netanyahu said that buildings near the checkpoint and the neighborhoods where the gunmen originated would be destroyed. He compared the current action to campaigns in 2025 that displaced tens of thousands of people from refugee camps in the northern West Bank.

Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari said the destruction focused on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa areas. He reported that dozens of families spent the night outdoors, some without vehicles, while others had spray paint marks on their houses. Al-Jaabari believes the military intends to displace 2,500 people from 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.

Netanyahu cancelled his party’s campaign events on Friday morning and traveled to Hebron wearing protective armor. In a video posted from the scene, he said forces would evacuate residents, search house by house for weapons, and destroy terrorist infrastructure. With four days remaining until the general election, he stated in a Saturday interview with i24 television that he had reviewed plans for the largest West Bank operation since 1967.

The Palestinian Authority called for urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement. Inside the Israeli government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged a campaign similar to those in Gaza or Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. Al-Jaabari told journalists that the operation was driven by the elections, aiming to win votes from the far right and settlers.