Israeli forces displace Hebron families after deadly attack

HEBRON, West Bank: Israeli forces entered the city on Saturday and displaced around 250 families, including some in the middle of the night, in retaliation for a deadly attack on soldiers. Days before crucial elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans for an operation of unprecedented scale since Israel's initial occupation of the West Bank in 1967, following the killing of two Israeli soldiers by Palestinian militants at a checkpoint near Hebron.

Buildings in the Ein Dir Baha neighborhood, located between two hills, bore X's marking their clearance of residents. Streets were empty, save for two Israeli military vehicles and a house draped with an Israeli flag, potentially taken over by troops. Higazi Shawer al-Tamimi, a 70-year-old shopkeeper, recounted the army waking him and others at 1 am, ordering immediate departure with only two hours to gather belongings.

Many families lacked vehicles and struggled to find temporary accommodations with relatives. Al-Tamimi believed the operation was orchestrated by Netanyahu to secure victory in the election, asserting, "He wants to win it with the blood of the Palestinian people." However, residents vowed not to abandon their homes.