Hebron Flattened Ahead of Vote

Israeli military units razed the Ein Deir Baha neighborhood in Hebron, forcing approximately 1,500 residents from their homes. Local authorities stated that 35 hectares, equivalent to 86 acres, were either destroyed or marked for demolition. The city, which has a population of 250,000, was sealed off with checkpoints on all entry points.

The operation followed a Friday attack on a military checkpoint outside the city. Two gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three during a 20-minute exchange of fire before both attackers were killed. Officials alleged the gunmen were from the Ein Deir Baha district. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the checkpoint site and pledged a forceful response.

Netanyahu stated that Israel would "act to destroy this place." Smotrich, who is running for election with a smaller coalition party, was filmed in body armor while a Palestinian building was demolished. He ordered the "immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site" and called for a military campaign comparable to operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

Residents shared videos showing extensive damage across several urban blocks. Footage included soldiers marking houses with black crosses and a bulldozer removing a stone wall on a hillside. One clip showed a large residential building draped in Israeli flags. Residents identified the building as belonging to a prominent local family, which the military had converted into a temporary headquarters.

Issa Amro, a Hebron civil rights activist, described the operation as collective punishment. "We are being collectively punished for something we neither did nor supported," Amro said. He noted that his sister's family was among those displaced. Amro questioned the motivation for the scale of destruction, asking if it was election propaganda or a long-term plan. "Our suffering is being turned into political material for Israel's elections," he added.

A municipality spokesperson reported that about 300 families had been evicted. The city opened community halls and children's play areas to house those displaced, while others stayed with relatives. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israel plans to displace an additional 2,500 people.

National elections are scheduled in four days. The Israeli army was contacted for comment on the demolition operation and the videos of the destruction but had not responded as of Saturday afternoon.