Hebron Crisis: 250,000 Residents Face Eviction After Checkpoint Firefight

Approximately 250,000 residents of Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, face potential eviction under a new siege order announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The directive targets Hebron and the neighboring town of Halhul, following an incident in which gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others near a checkpoint outside the city.

Netanyahu stated that residents of the neighborhoods where the gunmen originated would be forced to leave, accompanied by mass demolitions of homes. He described the planned military operation as the largest in the West Bank since 1967, noting that while no specific date has been set, the operation is imminent.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure, filmed a bulldozer demolishing a Palestinian home near the shooting site within hours of the attack. Smotrich said the demolition of the unpermitted structure was intended to create deterrence and exact a price, though no link was established between the building's owners and the attackers.

Israel's High Court issued a temporary order halting the demolitions shortly after work began. Human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed an urgent petition on behalf of two nearby factory owners, arguing the action breached international law regarding collective punishment. Dahleh stated that the move was an attempt to copy illegal practices used in Gaza in the heart of the West Bank.

Michael Sfard, a leading Israeli lawyer, called Smotrich's video a direct admission that the demolitions amounted to collective punishment. He noted that deterrence has historically been used to justify such measures.

Defence Minister Israel Katz promised further forced displacement, comparing the treatment of Hebron to the Jenin refugee camp, where nearly 20,000 people have been displaced. Katz stated that every clan neighborhood from which the terrorists emerged would be evacuated of its residents.

The Israeli military reported that two men armed with an assault rifle and a handgun, driving a car with Israeli number plates, opened fire at a temporary checkpoint. Both gunmen were killed in a gunfight that lasted 20 minutes. An AFP photographer witnessed the exchange, leading to groundless conspiracy theories linking the professional to the attackers. The Foreign Press Association described the claims as dangerous and defamatory, noting the photographer is a longtime professional documenting events in keeping with his duties.

The crisis unfolds as polls suggest the governing far-right coalition may lose its majority in Tuesday's elections. Since October 2023, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Hebron on Friday, demanding the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and tighter limits on movement.