Netanyahu Orders Hebron Demolition Campaign Four Days Before Election

Israeli military bulldozers flattened at least one entire street in Hebron, displacing at least 200 families and marking homes for demolition in the lead up to the general election.

The operation began on Friday following an attack on a checkpoint that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. Both Palestinian gunmen were killed in the engagement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the offensive that same day. He stated that buildings near the attack site and the neighborhoods the gunmen came from would be destroyed. Netanyahu cancelled his party's campaign events for Friday morning. He traveled to Hebron wearing protective armor and posted a video from the scene. He said the goal was to evacuate residents, search houses, remove weapons, and destroy terrorist infrastructure.

Local officials reported that the military sealed off the city, restricting movement for its 200,000 residents. The army stated it had dozens of targets across the West Bank and that operations would continue for several days. Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari said the destruction focused on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighborhoods. He noted that homes, businesses, industrial sites, and infrastructure were hit. Dozens of families were forced to sleep outdoors, with some told to leave without their vehicles. Al-Jaabari believes the military intends to displace 2,500 people from roughly 0.35 square kilometers of urban land.

The timing of the operation aligns with Netanyahu's campaign promise of security. The general election is scheduled for four days after the start of the demolitions. Al-Jaabari told journalists that the operation was driven by the elections. He said Netanyahu and his ministers were trying to win the votes of the far right and of settlers. Israeli rights groups have previously criticized the demolition of homes suspected of involvement in attacks as collective punishment. Netanyahu compared the Hebron operation to campaigns in northern Palestinian refugee camps in 2025. Those earlier operations destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced tens of thousands of people.

Netanyahu said he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967. He did not specify when that operation might occur. It is unclear if the Hebron demolitions are part of those larger plans. In an interview with i24 television, Netanyahu threatened a very big surprise for the Palestinian Authority. The Authority called for urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement. 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 Palestinian Authority to be dismantled.