Nearly 2,000 Displaced in Hebron

Nearly 2,000 residents of the Ein Deir Baha district in Hebron have been displaced as Israeli military forces took control of their homes. The Hebron municipality reported that 370 families were forced to leave their neighborhood in the days following a gun attack on a military checkpoint. Two Israeli soldiers died in the Friday assault, an event that intensified political campaigning ahead of Tuesday's election.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the site on Friday. They pledged immediate retribution and warned of large-scale military operations in the West Bank, a scale not seen in nearly 60 years. Within hours of the attack, the city of 250,000 was sealed off. The Farsh al-Hawa neighborhood, located near the checkpoint, was demolished, leaving only rubble where car workshops and a ceramics plant once stood.

Imam Fahed Ahmaro was awakened at midnight by loudspeakers on military vehicles ordering residents to vacate their homes. He had 30 family members living in his house. He moved his frail mother and several grandchildren to his daughter's home before returning to collect possessions. His neighbor told him the army had blown up the gates and destroyed the furniture. Ahmaro said, "You don't know what you have until you lose it. Now I realise how devastating it is to lose your home."

Abdul Halim al-Tamimi, a 77-year-old resident, attempted to remain in his home when soldiers arrived at 1:30 a.m. on Friday. An intelligence officer gave the family 10 minutes to leave, threatening displacement similar to that seen in Gaza. Al-Tamimi stated that three military vehicles forced his family out by 3 a.m. By Sunday morning, his villa had been converted into a military headquarters, surrounded by vehicles and decorated with Israeli flags.

The Israeli army stated that the displaced population left voluntarily and that civilians were permitted to evacuate temporarily. The military claimed that the 2,000 displaced individuals belonged to the Jaba'a clan, which it described as associated with Hamas. Residents of the district disputed this, estimating the clan's presence at no more than 150 people. Al-Tamimi said, "We are from a completely different family. We are innocent people. We have nothing to do with the whole thing."

Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Jabari described the military action as collective punishment. He noted that the city's roads remained blocked by steel barriers, allowing only pedestrian traffic. A delivery truck driver named Wasam Sadi reported arriving at a checkpoint with a smashed windshield and glass in his eyes after being attacked by settlers. Al-Jabari stated, "They have dragged people from their houses, and they have prevented the media from getting into the district in order to cover up what is happening."

The military closure has isolated the city, with all roads in and out closed to cars. Taxi drivers are competing for the limited number of pedestrian passengers. The Israeli army maintains that the operations are necessary for security, while local leaders argue the displacement serves the political goals of the ruling coalition in the run-up to the vote.