Israel to seal West Bank crossings on election day as Hebron operation intensifies

Israel’s military will close all land crossings between Israel and the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, election day, and bar Palestinian workers from entering Israel, settlements and parts of the territory, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF said the restrictions would begin with a ban on workers entering areas it refers to as Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley. Crossings will remain closed throughout election day.

Euronews reported that limited exceptions for industrial zones and other approved areas would apply before Tuesday, while the broader closure would cover the election itself. The decision follows a shooting near Hebron in which two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others injured. The IDF said the two suspected Palestinian attackers were also killed.

Hamas praised the attack but did not claim responsibility, according to DW. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised a forceful response and ordered the military to cordon off Hebron and impose additional security measures. Israeli forces have conducted searches across the West Bank, with the IDF saying it operated in 40 areas and detained about 40 suspects, including people it identified as affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The operation has also involved the removal of Palestinian residents and the demolition of structures in Hebron. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz put the number displaced at about 2,000, while reports citing the Hebron mayor and the Palestinian news agency Wafa gave higher figures of roughly 2,200 and 2,500. Euronews said more than 200 families had been displaced from the al-Jilda and Ain Deir Baha areas.

The differing estimates could reflect different counting methods or the timing of the reports. Israel says the campaign is aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and preventing further attacks. The military said residents were allowed to leave through designated screening points and denied that civilians had been forced to evacuate.

It described demolished buildings as security threats or illegal structures and said the demolitions complied with international law. Palestinian officials and Israeli rights group B’Tselem dispute that account. Hebron’s mayor said residents had been forced from their homes, while B’Tselem condemned what it called plans for forced displacement and widespread destruction.

The BBC reported that Israeli rights groups have criticized home demolitions in the West Bank as collective punishment. The measures have been imposed just days before a closely contested election. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is seeking another term while facing pressure over security.

The BBC said Hebron’s mayor accused the prime minister and his ministers of using the operation to win support from far-right voters and settlers; that is a political allegation, not an established finding in the reports. Thousands of people meanwhile demonstrated in Tel Aviv against the government. The rally was organized by the October Council, a group formed by families of victims and hostages from the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack.

Opposition party leaders, including former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, attended, according to the BBC. The crossing closure will affect movement and employment for Palestinian workers during a period of heightened tension. The supplied reports do not say how long the restrictions will remain after voting ends or whether further closures are planned.