Netanyahu Orders Hebron Demolitions as Israel Preps Major Offensive
Following the deaths of two soldiers at a checkpoint, Israel has begun clearing a West Bank neighborhood and plans operations not seen in six decades.
By Arjun Wojcik ·
Two gunmen opened fire on Israeli soldiers stationed behind concrete barriers at a checkpoint near Hebron, killing two and wounding three. The firefight lasted approximately 20 minutes until troops neutralized the attackers. The incident triggered an immediate military response in the occupied West Bank, where bulldozers began flattening homes near the shooting site on Friday afternoon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation from the attack scene, pledging a military operation on a scale not seen since the Six Day War of 1967. He stated the goal was to demolish the area and change it completely. The plan mirrors last year’s assault on two Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank, which displaced tens of thousands. Human Rights Watch described those previous expulsions as war crimes, a charge Israel rejects.
The B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, called on foreign governments to intervene to stop what it termed another wave of ethnic cleansing. The UN Human Rights Office for the occupied Palestinian territory has labeled the current situation a new level of dehumanization. Israel has imposed widespread closures in Hebron, the most populous city in the West Bank, and maintains around 925 checkpoints and roadblocks across the territory.
National elections are scheduled for October 27, four days from now. Polls indicate a tight race between Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, with neither leader holding enough support to form a government. Analysts suggest the scale of the military response is tied to Netanyahu’s need to project strength to voters. Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, noted that Netanyahu is positioning himself as the protector of Israel.
Citrinowicz described the eviction of families from the attackers' neighborhood as collective punishment, especially since no link has been established between those families and the gunmen. He argued that harsh measures are intended to show the public that the government supports and defends them. He urged authorities to focus on arresting those seeking to carry out attacks while helping those who want to live peacefully with a stable economy.
The military action comes amid a surge of violence and land seizures by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The immediate goal is to clear the neighborhood where the checkpoint was attacked. The operation is set to begin before the election, with Netanyahu promising a complete transformation of the area.
Source: NPR
