World
Israel to close West Bank crossings as election nears and Hebron crackdown intensifies
Israel’s military says it will close all West Bank land crossings on election day and bar Palestinian workers from entering settlements, amid a crackdown after two Israeli soldiers were killed at a checkpoint. The operation has cordoned off Hebron, restricted movement for its roughly 200,000 residents and displaced about 2,000 people, according to Israel’s defence minister. Palestinian officials say the campaign is politically driven, while Israel has framed it as a security response. Opposition protests are also demanding accountability before Tuesday’s vote.
Editorial summary · Publisher article
What matters
- The restrictions include a ban on Palestinian workers entering or leaving the West Bank and Jordan Valley during election day.
- The military has demolished homes and businesses in Hebron, with reports of an entire street being flattened.
- Before October 2023, more than 100,000 Palestinian workers were permitted to enter Israel; only a small fraction have since regained permits.
- The operation follows an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three others.
Context & caveats
- The account includes competing claims about the operation’s security rationale and political motivation.
- Displacement and destruction figures are attributed to Israeli officials and reporting based partly on online footage.
Why this made the edition
The report gives specific new restrictions, casualty and displacement figures, historical context, political reactions and competing interpretations of the West Bank operation ahead of Israel’s election.
Source material