Deeply divided Israel braces for pivotal election
After three years of regional war, this is a battle Israel always knew was coming, writes Lucy Williamson.
Israel has announced plans to impose a lockdown on the West Bank during Tuesday's parliamentary election, as the country's military continues to operate in the territory following a deadly attack by Palestinian gunmen near Hebron. The lockdown will also bar Palestinian workers from entering Israeli settlements and industrial zones in the West Bank and Jordan Valley on Sunday and Monday, with limited exceptions.
This comes amid ongoing security concerns in the region, with Israeli forces carrying out counter-terrorism operations in around 40 areas and arresting around 40 suspects, including members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Israeli government approved the decision following a recommendation from the security establishment, with land crossings between the West Bank and Israel set to be closed to Palestinians on election day.
Brief written by urgent.news from Qatar Tribune's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Israel to impose West Bank lockdown during Tuesday’s election qatar-tribune.com
- Israel to close occupied West Bank crossings over election middleeasteye.net
- Deeply divided Israel braces for pivotal election bbc.co.uk
