The Israeli army forced approximately 1,200 Palestinians to leave their homes in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official said Saturday, one day after a Palestinian attack in which two Israeli soldiers were killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had stated on Friday that the army would launch a large-scale operation following the soldiers’ deaths, when two armed Palestinians opened fire at a military checkpoint near the city. The Israeli army reported that the two gunmen were killed in the exchange of fire.
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The army also stated that the operation in the Al-Jalanda and Ain Deir Baha neighborhoods, near the military checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron, was aimed at locating militants and weapons. In a statement, it added that it would also proceed with demolitions.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the operation, calling it “collective punishment.”
Yusuf Zuhair al-Jabari, head of the Hebron municipality, stated that approximately 1,300 people are at risk of losing their homes, in addition to the 1,200 who have already been displaced.
He also claimed that the Israeli operations are being driven by Tuesday’s parliamentary elections.
The non-governmental organization Palestinian Prisoners’ Club reported that Israeli forces arrested approximately 70 Palestinians on Friday and Saturday. Israeli officials have not commented on the arrests.
Al-Jabari stated that the army demolished shops, factories, homes, and roads in Hebron, describing the response as disproportionate and unjustified.
Residents of Hebron told Reuters that the army forced many people to flee their homes, even though they had no connection to the Palestinians who carried out the attack.
Across the West Bank, Israel has blocked access to most Palestinian cities and towns, drastically restricting Palestinians’ freedom of movement.
Source: KYPE
