Israel closed the access points to Hebron and forcibly displaced nearly 500 families in retaliation

Israeli forces closed all access points to Hebron, in the southern West Bank, on Saturday and forcibly displaced 492 families, according to an initial estimate by the city’s municipality. The operation began on Friday evening after two Palestinians shot two Israeli soldiers near the city, three days before Israel’s general election.

Israeli troops established three exit points where people are questioned and suspects may be detained. The army said it is conducting searches throughout the area to identify infrastructure and weapons considered terrorist-related, and that the operation could last several days.

According to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, the displaced families come from the Al Yalda and Deir Baha areas. At least 13 people were reportedly arrested during the raids, while demolitions of buildings and shops deemed illegal by Israel began in Hebron and near the site of the attack. The Israeli army has not yet provided figures on the number of people evacuated or arrested.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a large-scale operation in the West Bank involving evacuations, searches and the destruction of infrastructure that Israel considers terrorist.