Hebron Families Evicted As West Bank Sealed

Palestinian families in Hebron were roused from their homes late at night by soldiers using loudspeakers, and told to leave. Hebron mayor Yousef al-Ja'bari said 2,200 residents have been driven out since Friday. Hundreds of Israeli raids have hit the city since then, and by Saturday neither entry nor exit was permitted.

The violence began Friday when two Palestinian gunmen attacked an Israeli army reserve base. Both gunmen were killed, as were two Israeli soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then ordered what he called a full lockdown of the West Bank.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Society put the number of Palestinians arrested in the raids at about 70. Israeli operations reached at least 15 West Bank areas on Saturday, among them Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Birzeit, Bethlehem and occupied East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority, which governs the territory, called the measures collective punishment and cited home demolitions and the displacement of entire neighbourhoods. It urged the international community to intervene, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Hamas said the escalation and the actions of Israeli settlers would fuel more outrage.

Hebron holds about 200,000 Palestinians, with another 600,000 elsewhere in Hebron governorate, the West Bank's most populous district. Issa Amro, a Hebron-based activist and political analyst, said the 800,000 people across that area are "now under siege, with all entrances and exits closed since morning". He added: "Inside the city, there is no safe place for anyone to hide .. the city is really in fear." Al Jazeera journalists documenting an operation to bulldoze homes and vehicles near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint were targeted by soldiers, who fired a stun grenade at them.

Israeli parliamentary elections are set for October 27. Al Jazeera's West Bank correspondent Nour Odeh said Netanyahu, his Likud party and their right-wing coalition allies trail in the polls, and are "trying to put up a brave front, saying they're combating Palestinians". Netanyahu declined to say whether he plans to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, but said a big surprise awaits the organisation.