Netanyahu Orders Hebron Demolitions Four Days Before Israeli Election

The Israeli military launched a large-scale demolition operation in Hebron on Friday, displacing approximately 2,500 residents from an area covering 0.35 square kilometers. Local officials confirmed that bulldozers destroyed homes, businesses, and infrastructure in the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighborhoods, with footage showing at least one entire street leveled.

The city’s governor and deputy mayor stated that at least 200 families were displaced immediately. Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari reported that dozens of residents were forced to spend the night outdoors. He noted that some families were ordered to leave without their vehicles while their houses were marked for demolition with spray paint. The Israel Defense Forces sealed off the city, restricting movement for its 200,000 residents, and said in a social media post that operations would continue for several days.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the operation following an attack on a checkpoint where two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. Both gunmen were killed in the incident. Netanyahu stated that buildings near the attack site and the neighborhoods the gunmen originated from would be destroyed. He canceled his party’s campaign events for Friday morning and traveled to Hebron wearing protective armor to oversee the initial phase.

Netanyahu said the operation would involve evacuating residents, removing weapons, and destroying terrorist infrastructure. He also disclosed that he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967, though he did not specify a timeline for that broader campaign. In an interview released on Saturday, he described an upcoming move against the Palestinian Authority as a very big surprise.

The timing of the operation, which occurred four days before the general election, drew political attention. Al-Jaabari told journalists that the campaign was driven by the elections and that Netanyahu was seeking to secure votes from the far right and settlers. Within the government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a West Bank campaign similar to those in Gaza and Lebanon, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority called for urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement. Israeli rights groups have historically criticized the demolition of Palestinian homes as collective punishment. Netanyahu compared the current Hebron operation to 2025 campaigns in northern refugee camps, which displaced tens of thousands of people. The IDF did not immediately answer requests for comment beyond its social media statement.