35 Hectares of Hebron District Demolished as 1,500 Residents Evicted

Islam troops razed the Ein Deir Baha district in the West Bank city of Hebron, displacing approximately 1,500 residents according to local estimates. The Hebron municipality stated that 35 hectares, or 86 acres, of the area were either destroyed or marked for demolition by Saturday afternoon. This action followed a militant attack on an Israeli military checkpoint outside the city on Friday.

The municipality reported that roughly 300 families were evicted from their homes. While some residents relocated to the homes of friends or relatives, the city opened community halls and children's play areas to shelter others. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israel intends to displace an additional 2,500 people in the coming days. The city, which has a population of 250,000, was sealed off with checkpoints established at every point of entry.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the site of the initial attack. Netanyahu stated that Israel would "act to destroy this place." Smotrich, who is running for election with a smaller coalition party, was filmed in body armor before a Palestinian building during the demolition. He ordered "the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site" and called for a "comprehensive military campaign" similar to operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

The military operation followed a 20-minute gunfight in which two gunmen attacked the checkpoint. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three were wounded, while both assailants died. The Ein Deir Baha district was identified as the home area for the attackers. Videos from residents showed widespread devastation, including houses reduced to rubble, soldiers marking homes with black crosses, and a large residential building draped in Israeli flags. Residents identified that building as belonging to a prominent Hebron family and used as a temporary military headquarters.

Issa Amro, a civil rights activist in Hebron, described the operation as collective punishment. He stated, "We are being collectively punished for something we neither did nor supported." Amro added that his sister's family was among those displaced. He questioned whether the demolitions were purely election propaganda or part of a larger strategic plan for the post-election period. The Israeli army was contacted for comment regarding the scope of the destruction but had not responded as of the latest reports.

The timing of the demolitions places the operation four days before the scheduled Israeli elections. The conflict between the need for a military response and the political calendar has intensified scrutiny on the actions taken in Hebron. The destruction of such a large urban area has created an immediate housing crisis for the displaced families, with the municipality managing the intake of evacuees into public buildings.