2,500 people to be displaced in Hebron, mayor says

Israeli military forces have begun a large-scale demolition campaign in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. The operation is focused on the Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa neighborhoods, where bulldozers have leveled streets and structures. Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari stated that the military intends to displace approximately 2,500 people from an urban area of 0.35 square kilometers.

Local officials confirmed that at least 200 families have already been displaced. Al-Jaabari reported that dozens of families were forced to spend the night outdoors. Some residents were ordered to leave without their vehicles while their homes were marked for demolition with spray paint. The city's governor and deputy mayor corroborated the figure of at least 200 displaced families.

The Israel Defense Forces sealed off the city, restricting movement for its 200,000 residents. The military stated on social media that it has dozens of targets across the West Bank and that operations will continue for several days. Footage shared online shows extensive damage, including at least one entire street that appears to have been flattened by heavy machinery.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the operation on Friday following an attack on a checkpoint. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three were wounded in the incident, while two Palestinian gunmen were killed. Netanyahu declared that buildings near the attack site and the neighborhoods the gunmen came from would be destroyed. He traveled to Hebron wearing protective armor to oversee the initial phase of the operation.

Netanyahu said the goal is to evacuate residents, search house by house for weapons, and destroy terrorist infrastructure. The timing of the operation is notable as it begins four days before Israel's general election. Netanyahu cancelled his party's campaign events on Friday morning to attend the site. He stated that the military is reviewing plans for the largest operation in the West Bank since 1967, though he did not specify if the current Hebron campaign is part of that larger plan.

The Palestinian Authority called for urgent international action to prevent further forced displacement. Within 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. Mayor al-Jaabari described the operation as driven by the upcoming elections, suggesting leaders are seeking votes from the far right and settlers.

Israeli rights groups have criticized the practice of demolishing homes of Palestinians suspected of attacks as collective punishment. Netanyahu compared the current Hebron operation to campaigns in 2025, where the military destroyed hundreds of homes in northern refugee camps and displaced tens of thousands of people.