After checkpoint attack, Israeli soldiers raze Hebron neighbourhood, driving 300 families from homes

Demolitions across Hebron

The footage also showed soldiers marking Palestinian houses with black crosses and a bulldozer bringing down a stone wall. A large residential building displayed Israeli flags; residents said it belonged to a prominent Hebron family and had been taken over as a temporary military headquarters.

Families seek shelter

A spokesperson for the Hebron municipality said about 300 families had been evicted. Some found refuge with friends or relatives, while the municipality opened community halls and children’s play areas for others.

Wafa, a Palestinian news agency, reported that Israeli plans could displace an additional 2,500 people. The report did not say when those further displacements might take place.

Officials promise response

With Israeli elections four days away, Netanyahu and Smotrich visited the site of the attack and pledged an immediate response. Netanyahu said Israel would “act to destroy this place,” according to the report.

Resident questions the plan

Hebron civil rights activist Issa Amro said families had been forced out despite having no connection to the attack. He described the situation as collective punishment and said residents were bearing the cost of election politics.

Amro said the affected area was extensive and that residents did not know whether the demolitions were election messaging or part of a longer-term plan. He also said hundreds of families had left their homes after the events of Friday.