250,000 residents face isolation as Israel seals Hebron after fatal shootout

Approximately 250,000 people in Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, are now under a declared siege. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the blockade of the city and the neighboring town of Halhul after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others near a checkpoint outside the urban area.

The military response began immediately. Ministers traveling to the scene for the Tuesday elections oversaw the first demolition within hours of the shooting. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure, posted video footage of himself standing in front of a bulldozer as it tore down a Palestinian home near the firefight. He stated that the demolition of the unpermitted structure was intended to "create deterrence and exact a price." No link was established between the building's owners and the attackers.

Legal challenges have already begun to slow the construction of the new border. The Israeli high court issued a temporary order halting the demolitions shortly after work commenced. Human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed the urgent petition on behalf of two nearby factory owners. He argued that the actions breached international law regarding collective punishment and Israeli administrative law. Dahleh described the move as an attempt to copy illegal practices used in Gaza, but in the heart of the West Bank.

Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed plans for further displacement. He drew an explicit comparison to the treatment of the Jenin refugee camp, where nearly 20,000 people have been forced from their homes. Katz stated that every clan neighborhood in Hebron from which the terrorists emerged would be evacuated of its residents. He also promised that the city would face the same tactics as Jenin.

The attack itself was brief but intense. According to the Israeli military, two men armed with an assault rifle and a handgun drove a car with Israeli number plates to a temporary checkpoint. Soldiers stopped the vehicle, and the men opened fire. A gunfight lasting 20 minutes ensued, resulting in the death of both gunmen. An AFP photographer witnessed the exchange while traveling to another assignment, noting the two men firing at Israeli forces.

The incident has already sparked controversy among the press corps. A candidate for the far-right Amcha Yisrael party shared unverified theories linking the photographer to the gunmen. The Foreign Press Association expressed alarm, calling the claims "dangerous and defamatory." The association noted that the photographer is a longtime professional who was documenting events in accordance with his duties. This follows an incident a week earlier where settlers severely injured photographer Heidi Levine during the olive harvest.

Political stakes are high for the current government. Polls suggest the governing far-right coalition, which strongly backs settlers, may lose its majority in Tuesday's elections. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Hebron on Friday. He demanded the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and tighter limits on Palestinian movement. Netanyahu said plans were drawn up for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967, noting that while no date has been set, the operation is on the way.

The context for the escalation is the surge in violence since October 2023. More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied West Bank during this period. Attacks have intensified since the olive harvest began in late September. The current siege marks a sharp increase in the use of collective punishment measures in the region.