Hebron Municipality Reports 35 Hectares Flattened in Two-Day Sweep

The Hebron municipality calculated that 35 hectares of land in the Ein Deir Baha district were destroyed or marked for demolition. Local authorities described the military operation as collective punishment for a militant attack on an army checkpoint outside the city. By Saturday afternoon, the municipality reported that approximately 1,500 people had been forced from their homes. The city of 250,000 residents was sealed off, with checkpoints established at every point of entry.

The destruction followed a Friday attack by two gunmen at an Israeli military checkpoint. A 20-minute gunfight resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and injuries to three others. Both gunmen were killed during the engagement. Authorities alleged that the Ein Deir Baha district was the home base of the attackers.

Videos from a Hebron resident documented the extent of the damage. Footage showed urban blocks reduced to rubble and soldiers spraying black crosses on Palestinian houses. One clip featured a bulldozer demolishing a stone wall on a hillside. Another showed a large residential building draped in Israeli flags, which residents said belonged to a prominent Hebron family. The building was taken over as a temporary military headquarters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the checkpoint site and pledged a fierce response. Netanyahu stated that Israel would "act to destroy this place." Smotrich, who is running for election with a smaller coalition party, was filmed in body armor in front of a Palestinian building as it was demolished. He said he ordered "the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site." Smotrich also called for a "comprehensive military campaign" similar to operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

A municipality spokesperson confirmed that about 300 families had been evicted. Some residents found shelter with friends and relatives, while the municipality opened community halls and children's play areas to house others. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israel plans to displace a further 2,500 people.

Issa Amro, a Hebron civil rights activist, criticized the operation in a telephone interview. He stated, "We are being collectively punished for something we neither did nor supported." Amro added that his sister's family was among those driven from their homes. He said hundreds of families had left their homes with no connection to Friday's attack. He noted that it is unclear whether the operation is election propaganda or part of a post-election plan.

Israeli elections are scheduled for four days from now. The Israeli army was approached for comment on the operations and the videos showing widespread destruction.