Israel to close occupied West Bank crossings as Hebron lockdown continues

What the report says

Israel has said it will close all land crossings with the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, when it holds a general election, while also restricting Palestinian workers from entering most parts of the territory from Sunday through Monday. The move comes as the Israeli army maintains a lockdown in Hebron, following Friday’s shooting attack on an Israeli army reserve base that killed two Israeli soldiers. The two Palestinian gunmen involved were killed, according to the report.

The Al Jazeera report says the army has carried out hundreds of raids since the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “full lockdown” of the occupied West Bank, and Defence Minister Israel Katz said roughly 2,000 people had been displaced. Hebron’s mayor, Yousef al-Ja’bari, told Al Jazeera that the city and nearby villages were under a complete blockade, with residents forced from their homes amid raids and demolition activity.

The Palestinian Authority has called for international pressure on Israel, describing the measures as collective punishment and pointing to home demolitions, displacement and the closure of Palestinian cities. Hebron is the West Bank’s most populous area, with around 200,000 residents in the city and 600,000 more in the governorate, giving the operation broad local impact.

The military says the operation will last several days, while Netanyahu has suggested a larger campaign may follow. The timing is politically significant because Netanyahu is facing a close election contest and, according to the report, is seeking to present a tough security posture ahead of the vote.