Symbolic imageIsrael razes Hebron neighbourhood and plans West Bank lockdown
Israel demolished buildings in Hebron and displaced 1,200 to 2,000 Palestinians after two soldiers were killed nearby on Friday. The army will seal the West Bank on election day.
Two gunmen attacked a checkpoint near Hebron on Friday, 23 October, killing two Israeli soldiers before being killed themselves. Defence Minister Israel Katz says a Hamas cell from a Hebron neighbourhood was responsible, that about 2,000 residents were evacuated and that they may not return until Israel has settled all Hamas-related problems in Hebron. Reuters reports around 1,200 displaced; the Hebron municipality counts about 1,500 evicted from Ein Deir Baha and 35 hectares destroyed or marked for demolition. The army cites illegally built structures, while the Jerusalem Post notes it gave little information on the evacuees' offences.
Arrests and wider reach
The army reports about 40 arrests, including alleged Hamas and Islamic Jihad members. Governor Khaled Dudin says a third of the city is affected and calls it collective punishment.
Election-day lockdown
The army said on Sunday that all land crossings will close and Palestinian workers will be barred from entering or leaving the West Bank on Tuesday, 27 October, election day.
Other opinions
Israeli officials call it a counterterrorism operation; Palestinian officials call it collective punishment, as the Jerusalem Post's analysis also suggests.