Israeli forces continued a major military operation across the West Bank on Sunday, conducting raids, arrests, and home demolitions in response to a Friday shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others near Hebron.
The operation, which began late Friday after the attack at a checkpoint in the occupied territory's largest city, targeted more than 400 locations and resulted in the arrest of approximately 40 Palestinians linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to the Israeli military. Troops searched neighborhoods, warned residents to evacuate areas like Deir Bahha in Hebron, and demolished structures deemed security threats.
Hebron officials reported that the sweeps displaced more than 2,200 people, including nearly 300 children. Palestinian workers with permits were barred from entering Israeli settlements in the West Bank starting Sunday, with all land crossings into Israel set to close on election day Tuesday. The restrictions will remain in place until after the vote.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the attack site and ordered an extensive response, including house-to-house searches modeled on prior operations in northern West Bank refugee camps. Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also pledged a forceful crackdown, emphasizing the need to eliminate terrorist infrastructure ahead of the election, which serves as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership and security policies.
The operation coincides with heightened alert measures for the Tuesday vote, including canceled soldier leave and a focus on preventing interference. Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition allies have framed the response as essential to protecting Israelis from ongoing threats by groups like Hamas.
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