Hebron Displaced as Israel Seizes Homes Ahead of Vote

The West Bank city of Hebron has become a central battleground in the upcoming Israeli election, with nearly 2,000 residents displaced following a violent crackdown by security forces.

The escalation began after a gun attack at an Israeli military checkpoint on Friday that killed two soldiers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the site by television shortly after the incident. Their coalition currently trails in polling with two days of campaigning left, and the prime minister threatened military operations of a scale unseen in the territory for almost 60 years.

By the end of the weekend, the city of 250,000 people was sealed off to vehicle traffic. In the Farsh al-Hawa neighborhood, bulldozers flattened an industrial zone containing car workshops and a ceramics plant. Simultaneously, forces moved into the Ein Deir Baha district, which authorities linked to the attackers.

The Hebron municipality reported that 370 families were displaced from Ein Deir Baha. The Israeli army stated that residents left voluntarily and that civilians were permitted to evacuate temporarily. Local leaders rejected this characterization, describing the process as a forced removal under military pressure.

Fahed Ahmaro, the imam of the local mosque, said he was woken around midnight by loudspeakers on military vehicles ordering homeowners to leave immediately for their safety. His family of 30 members had lived in the house, and he moved his mother and grandchildren to a relative’s home. When he returned to collect items, a neighbor informed him that the army had blown up the front gates. "You don't know what you have until you lose it," Ahmaro said.

Abdul Halim al-Tamimi, 77, described a similar timeline. He said military personnel arrived at 1:30 a.m. and gave his family 10 minutes to depart. An intelligence officer warned that refusal would lead to a displacement similar to that seen in Gaza. After standing outside until three military vehicles confronted them, the family left at 3:00 a.m. By Sunday morning, the villa was draped in Israeli flags and served as an army headquarters.

The military attributed the operation to the Jaba'a clan, claiming about 2,000 locals belonged to the group and that it is associated with Hamas. Residents of the area disputed this, stating the clan has no more than 150 members and lacks a reputation for radicalism. Al-Tamimi noted his family belongs to a different clan and suggested the operation served electoral publicity.

By Sunday evening, all roads entering and leaving Hebron remained closed to cars behind steel barriers. Only pedestrians could move through the checkpoints. Wasam Sadi, a delivery truck driver, arrived at a checkpoint with a smashed windshield and glass in his eyes after settlers attacked his vehicle at a nearby junction.

Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Jabari labeled the measures collective punishment, noting that residents were dragged from homes and media access was restricted in the affected district. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are not eligible to vote in Tuesday’s election, but the outcome is expected to influence the territory's future.