Israel Demolishes Hebron Homes After Checkpoint Kills Two Troops

Demolition crews began tearing down Palestinian structures in Hebron on Thursday. The military action followed a shooting incident at a checkpoint outside the city where two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others were wounded. Both attackers died in the exchange of fire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site and declared that the military would demolish the specific neighborhood from which the gunmen emerged. He stated the goal was to completely transform the area. Netanyahu compared these plans to previous operations in West Bank refugee camps, where residential buildings were destroyed and thousands of residents were displaced. He also confirmed that cordons had been placed around Hebron, a city of approximately 200,000 people, and the nearby town of Halhul.

The Prime Minister said he had reviewed plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank in decades, although he did not provide a timeline for its execution. The Israeli military reported finding a large amount of ammunition in the vehicle used by the attackers. Officials believe the gunmen intended to strike the nearby Route 35 but engaged the checkpoint after encountering it there.

The incident has disrupted the national election campaign, with Israel voting in four days. The Likud party canceled campaign events scheduled for Friday morning. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a West Bank campaign similar to those conducted in Gaza and Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused opposition leaders of undermining the government by criticizing Netanyahu’s pre-election warnings. He declared they would be responsible for any future attacks.

Opposition figures, including frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, sent condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. They praised the troops who killed the attackers. Demolishing the homes of suspects is a standard practice for Israeli forces, though local rights groups have labeled it collective punishment.

The attack occurred amid rising tensions in the West Bank, where extremist Jewish settlers have targeted Palestinians during the olive harvest. The United Nations reports that at least 96 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the year. In that same period, four Israelis were killed by Palestinians in the territory, a count that excludes the two soldiers killed in Thursday’s checkpoint shooting.