Hebron Lockdown: 3,171 Displaced as Israel Holds Elections

A military cordon has sealed off Hebron, forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes while the country moves toward a general election. The isolation began on Friday after two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint near the city's northern entrance, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding three. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops to search the suspects' neighborhood house by house, stating they would act to destroy the area and change it completely.

The operation has resulted in widespread displacement. By the fourth day of the closure, at least 3,171 Palestinians from 488 families had been forced out, according to data from the Hebron Municipality. Governor Khaled Dudin reported that Israeli forces searched more than 500 homes, arrested over 70 people, and erected 128 closed gates and 120 checkpoints across the city. Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that residents would not be allowed to return until the army had finished addressing Hamas issues in the area.

Physical destruction has accompanied the evictions. Bulldozers razed a three-apartment building owned by Riyad Amrish, along with a tile and ceramics factory and an auto-parts shop in the Farsh al-Hawa neighborhood. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered these demolitions, according to Channel 12. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reported that the displaced population includes 127 infants, 81 pregnant women, and 26 people with disabilities. At least 47 people have been detained in Hebron since the shooting began.

The siege in Hebron is part of a wider pattern of restrictions across the West Bank. In Masafer Yatta, the family of Yusuf Shanaran has been blocked from their home for three weeks, unable to leave or receive aid without army coordination. In Umm Safa, a demolition order was issued for a house built in 1954, with a deadline of November 11. The village of Madama, south of Nablus, is emerging from a two-week siege of its entrances, with heavy restrictions remaining at the northern gate. The army barred Palestinian workers from settlements on Sunday and Monday and will close all crossings on election day.

Violence has also surged around the annual olive harvest. The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission counted 482 attacks on the harvest across nine governorates by Sunday. These incidents include theft of olives and equipment, assaults on farmers, and the uprooting of trees. In Burqa, settlers burned dozens of trees on Friday, while in Madama, a bulldozer uprooted hundreds of trees. Israel released nine of ten settlers arrested after attacks on a journalist and diplomats last week.

In Gaza, the death toll continues to rise. The Ministry of Health recorded 11 deaths on Monday, including three recovered from rubble, bringing the total killed since the October 2025 ceasefire to 1,559. The cumulative toll since the start of the war is 74,555. Hunger has worsened as crossings were shut, causing flour stocks to run out. Only seven of 20 commercial bakeries remained open, and a tray of eggs reached 60 shekels. Pressure eased on October 23 when Israel announced commercial goods would resume and an Egyptian committee delivered flour.