Die Lage im Überblick: Israels Armee: Lockdown im Westjordanland am Wahltag

Following the parliamentary election on Tuesday, the Israeli army is set to impose a lockdown on the occupied West Bank. The military announced that Palestinian workers will be denied access to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, with exceptions only for industrial zones and a limited number of approved areas.

This measure stems from Israel's ongoing military presence in the West Bank, following a deadly attack by armed Palestinians near Hebron on Friday, resulting in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and three others. Two Palestinian suspects from Hebron were killed in the operation. Meanwhile, around 2,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in Hebron, with the army confirming this figure.

They are unlikely to return to their homes "until we have resolved all issues with Hamas in Hebron," said the mayor of Hebron, Yussef al-Jabari. The Palestinian Authority called on the international community for intervention, warning that this escalation would not bring safety or peace but would instead fuel further tensions. Israel's army has reported dozens of arrests, with soldiers and the Israeli border police, along with the intelligence service, conducting anti-terrorism operations in about 40 areas and 400 locations across the West Bank.

They have detained around 40 suspects, including members of the Islamist terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. This follows the six-day war in 1967, during which Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem, holding the territory ever since. Today, about 700,000 Israeli settlers live among three million Palestinians.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened since the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, in Israel and the ensuing Gaza war. Israeli right-wing politicians have promised tough action against Palestinian violence, while the conflict with Palestinians has become a significant election issue.