Israel to close occupied West Bank crossings as Hebron lockdown continues

Israel says it volition adjacent each onshore crossings with the occupied West Bank erstwhile it holds a wide predetermination connected Tuesday.

Israel has said it volition adjacent each onshore crossings with the occupied West Bank connected the time of its general election adjacent week.

The Israeli service said successful a connection aboriginal connected Sunday that it would barroom Palestinian workers from entering astir areas of the West Bank from Sunday done Monday, and a afloat closure of crossings into and retired of the territory volition beryllium enforced connected Tuesday, the time of the Israeli vote.

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The announcement comes a time aft Israeli service imposed a lockdown successful Hebron and displaced thousands of Palestinians from their homes.

It has conducted hundreds of raids since Friday’s attack by 2 Palestinian gunmen connected an Israeli service reserve base, which killed 2 Israeli soldiers. The 2 Palestinians were besides killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “full lockdown” of the occupied West Bank pursuing the attack, portion Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that “about 2,000” radical had been displaced.

“They volition not beryllium allowed to instrumentality to their neighbourhood until we’ve finished dealing with each the Hamas issues successful Hebron,” Katz said successful an interrogation with nationalist broadcaster Kan.

‘Complete blockade’

Hebron’s Mayor Yousef al-Ja’bari told Al Jazeera that the metropolis of Hebron and respective neighbouring villages were nether a implicit blockade.

He besides said connected Saturday that 2,200 people had been forced from their homes by Israeli troops and raids.

Israeli machinery demolishes a Palestinian location successful Hebron successful the occupied West Bank connected October 23, 2026 [Mussa Qawasma/Reuters]

The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, has called for planetary unit connected Israel to support Hebron’s residents, who said soldiers announced forced evacuation orders implicit loudspeakers precocious astatine night, leaving them with nary clip to hole and fewer places to go.

The PA called Israel’s actions “collective punishment”, citing the demolition of homes, forced displacement of full neighbourhoods, and the “closure and siege of Palestinian cities”.

About 200,000 Palestinians unrecorded successful the metropolis of Hebron, and a further 600,000 successful Hebron governorate, making it the West Bank’s astir populous area.

The Israeli subject has said the cognition volition past respective days.

But Netanyahu suggested bigger enactment was coming, saying helium was readying an cognition connected a standard not seen since Israel occupied the West Bank successful 1967.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving premier minister, is facing a choky contention for a caller word successful Tuesday’s vote, and analysts accidental helium is trying to capitalise connected ongoing determination subject conflicts and nationalist information fears to anchor his re-election campaign.