Israel tightens West Bank restrictions after deadly Hebron checkpoint attack

Two Palestinian gunmen attacked Israeli troops near a checkpoint outside Hebron on Friday, October 23. Two soldiers were killed and three wounded, according to NDTV and the Guardian.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major military operation in the occupied West Bank, CBS News reported. The attack came days before Israel's election, with security already a central campaign issue, according to The Japan Times.

On October 23, Israeli forces began an operation involving searches and building demolitions that the military said would last several days, according to CNA. Despite Netanyahu's announcement of a major response, the military described its operation as targeted and limited, The Times of India reported.

By October 24, the response included demolished buildings and roadblocks in Hebron, according to The New York Times. Residents told Middle East Eye that soldiers gave families five minutes to leave their homes.

Reports differed on the scale of displacement. AFP cited a Palestinian official saying more than 1,200 people had been forced to leave, while DIE WELT reported around 2,000. The Palestinian Authority appealed for international intervention and described the operation as collective punishment, according to Deutschlandfunk.

On October 25, Israel announced that all land crossings with the West Bank would close on election day, Tuesday, according to Arab News. Separately, the army said Palestinians would no longer be permitted from Sunday to enter Israeli communities in the West Bank and Jordan Valley for work, The Hindu reported.

On October 26, DER SPIEGEL reported that the army was having eight settlement outposts built around Hebron. Its coverage also described Minister Smotrich speaking of new settlements and a wave of demolitions targeting Arab buildings.

The crackdown now extends beyond the initial response near the checkpoint. Families have been displaced, buildings demolished and movement restricted, while all West Bank land crossings are scheduled to close for Tuesday's election, according to the BBC and South China Morning Post.

The military presents the operation as a response to the fatal shooting. Palestinian officials have called for international pressure over the displacement and restrictions, according to DER SPIEGEL. The available reports do not establish a single agreed total for those forced from their homes.

The immediate next step is Tuesday's planned crossing closure. Further reporting will need to establish how long the wider restrictions last, whether displaced families can return, and how the eight reported outposts around Hebron develop. The military initially said its operation would last several days, according to South China Morning Post.