Netanyahu Orders West Bank Operation On Scale Not Seen Since 1967
Bulldozers have begun clearing homes in Hebron following a checkpoint ambush that killed two soldiers and injured three.
By Malcolm Davis ·
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a military operation in the occupied West Bank, describing the effort as matching the scale of the 1967 war that first established Israeli control over the territory. The decision follows a deadly ambush at a checkpoint near the city of Hebron, where two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others were wounded. Netanyahu vowed to transform the area, telling a televised audience from the site of the shooting that Israel would demolish the neighborhood and change it completely.
Bulldozers began flattening homes in the affected district on Friday afternoon. The military stated that its personnel were positioned behind concrete barriers when two gunmen opened fire. A firefight continued for approximately 20 minutes until soldiers killed the attackers. This incident marks a sharp escalation in a region already experiencing a surge in violence and land seizures by Israeli settlers.
The planned operation draws comparisons to last year’s assault on two Palestinian refugee camps in northern West Bank, which displaced tens of thousands. Human Rights Watch characterized those previous expulsions as war crimes, a designation Israel rejects. The local group B'Tselem has called on foreign governments to intervene, warning against another wave of ethnic cleansing and war crimes.
Analysts link the magnitude of this response to the national elections scheduled for October 27. Current polls show Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, in a tight race, with neither possessing enough support to form a government. Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, described the strategy as a bid to present a strong security front to voters. He noted that Netanyahu is using harsh measures to demonstrate his role as the protector of the state.
The UN Human Rights Office for the occupied Palestinian territory has described the current situation as a new level of dehumanization. Israel has imposed widespread closures in Hebron, the most populous city in the West Bank, restricting movement. The territory currently contains approximately 925 checkpoints, roadblocks, and earth mounds that regulate transit. Citrinowicz called the eviction of families without direct links to the gunmen collective punishment, arguing that stability requires giving hope rather than imposing blanket penalties.
Other experts share the view that the operation serves political rather than long-term security goals. Citrinowicz urged authorities to arrest specific suspects while supporting the broader population with a functioning economy. He stated that the path to preventing future attacks lies in addressing the needs of those who simply wish to live peacefully.
Source: NPR
