Netanyahu orders Hebron siege after checkpoint shootout

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a siege on Hebron and the neighboring town of Halhul on Friday following an ambush at a checkpoint outside the city. The order forces residents of specific neighborhoods to evacuate and initiates a wave of home demolitions. The military confirmed that two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others wounded in the incident.

The attack involved two men driving a vehicle with Israeli license plates. They opened fire on troops at a temporary checkpoint, sparking a gunfight that lasted 20 minutes. Both gunmen were killed during the exchange. An AFP photographer present at the scene reported seeing two Palestinian men armed with a handgun and an automatic rifle firing at Israeli forces.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich arrived at the site shortly after the shooting. He posted a video showing himself in front of a bulldozer as it crushed a Palestinian home near the checkpoint. Smotrich stated the structure was built without permits and that its destruction was intended to create deterrence. He clarified that no link had been established between the building owners and the attackers.

Defense Minister Israel Katz pledged further evictions and demolitions. He compared the planned treatment of Hebron to the handling of the Jenin refugee camp, where nearly 20,000 people have been displaced. Katz said every clan neighborhood from which the terrorists emerged would be emptied of its residents. Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank, home to approximately 250,000 people.

Netanyahu stated that plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967 are being drawn up. He said no specific date has been set but that the operation is underway. The announcement comes ahead of Tuesday's elections, where polls suggest the governing far-right coalition may lose its majority.

Human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed an urgent petition with Israel's high court after the first demolition began. The court issued a temporary order halting the work. Dahleh argued the actions breached international law regarding collective punishment. He described the move as an attempt to copy illegal practices used in Gaza. Michael Sfard, another prominent lawyer, called Smotrich's video a direct admission that the demolitions constituted collective punishment.

The incident sparked debate over the role of media in the region. A candidate for the Amcha Yisrael party shared unverified theories linking the AFP photographer to the gunmen. The Foreign Press Association called the claims dangerous and defamatory, noting the photographer is a longtime professional. This dispute occurred one week after settlers severely injured photographer Heidi Levine while she documented olive harvests.

More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since October 2023. Violence has intensified since the olive harvest began in late September. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Hebron on Friday and demanded the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and stricter limits on Palestinian movement.