Israel to Close West Bank Crossings for Election

Israel has announced plans to close all land crossings with the West Bank on October 27, the day of its election, after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers in the territory.

According to an AFP report, the announcement came on Sunday as Israeli forces expanded their operations in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. The military action has displaced about 2,000 residents, according to the report.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the displaced residents would not be allowed to return until the military had finished addressing what he described as Hamas-related issues in Hebron.

“They will not be allowed to return… until we’ve finished dealing with all the Hamas issues in Hebron,” Katz said.

The latest measures followed Friday’s attack at a checkpoint near a Palestinian city. The attackers killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. Hamas praised the killings but did not claim responsibility.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to make the attackers pay a heavy price. He also said he was planning an operation on a scale not seen since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. The Israeli military said Palestinians would not be allowed to enter Israeli communities in the West Bank and Jordan Valley for work from Sunday.

It also announced a ban on Palestinian workers entering or leaving the areas, including industrial zones, and said all land crossings would close on election day. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is facing a tight race in Tuesday’s election. His security-focused reputation has come under pressure following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority called for international pressure on Israel to protect residents affected by the military operation. The Israeli military said it had operated in 40 areas across the West Bank on Friday and Saturday. Residents reported that soldiers used loudspeakers late at night to order people to evacuate.

The army also said it had arrested about 40 suspects, including people it described as members of Hamas and Islamic terrorists.

In Hebron’s Ein Deir Baha neighbourhood, evacuated buildings bore X marks and streets stood largely deserted. Israeli flags were displayed on a house on a hillside that appeared to have been taken over by troops.

Right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had ordered the immediate demolition of a row of structures following Friday’s shooting.

“Anyone who messes with us will quickly understand that he will pay a painful price,” he wrote on X.

The Israeli military said the operation would last several days. Netanyahu’s comments, however, suggested that further action could follow.