Hebron residents face eviction orders after checkpoint shootout

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a siege on Hebron and the neighboring town of Halhul after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others at a checkpoint. He ordered that residents of the specific neighborhoods where the attackers lived be forced out, promising widespread demolitions of homes. This marks the start of what he described as the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967, though no specific date has been set for the full campaign.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich filmed himself standing in front of a bulldozer as it tore down a Palestinian home near the scene of the firefight. He stated that destroying the building, which lacked a permit, was intended to create deterrence. Smotrich did not claim a link between the home's owners and the gunmen who carried out the attack. The first demolition began within hours of the shooting, as ministers rushed to the area ahead of Tuesday's elections.

Legal experts moved quickly to challenge the actions. Human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed an urgent petition with Israel's high court on behalf of two nearby factory owners. The court issued a temporary order halting the demolitions. Dahleh argued that the move breached international law regarding collective punishment. He described the actions as an attempt to copy illegal practices seen in Gaza within the West Bank.

Defence Minister Israel Katz explicitly compared the treatment of Hebron to the Jenin refugee camp, where nearly 20,000 people have been displaced. He stated that every clan neighborhood from which terrorists emerged would be evacuated. Katz noted that Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, home to approximately 250,000 residents. His comments followed a surge in violence in the region, with more than 1,100 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers since October 2023.

The attack involved two men armed with an assault rifle and a handgun driving a car with Israeli number plates. They opened fire after being stopped at a temporary checkpoint outside Hebron. A gunfight lasting 20 minutes ended with both men killed. An AFP photographer witnessed the exchange while en route to another assignment. The Foreign Press Association called subsequent claims linking the photographer to the gunmen dangerous and defamatory, noting the incident occurred one week after another photographer was severely injured by settlers.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also visited Hebron on Friday. He demanded the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and tighter restrictions on Palestinian movement. Polls suggest the governing far-right coalition may lose its majority in the upcoming Tuesday elections, a fact that has intensified political activity in the region. The coalition supports the expansion of settlements, which has accelerated since the start of the conflict.