Mayor of Hebron to Al Arabiya: Dozens of bulldozers demolish homes and shops

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The mayor of Hebron, Yousef Al-Jaabari, confirmed on Friday that Israeli forces are completely surrounding the city with dozens of military vehicles, preventing entry into or exit from it and its neighboring towns, in conjunction with massive demolition operations targeting homes and shops.

Al-Jaabari said, in statements to Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath, that dozens of Israeli bulldozers are currently carrying out demolition operations of residential buildings and shops in Hebron, amid an intense deployment of Israeli forces.

He explained that the city is under a comprehensive siege, with Israeli forces preventing entry and exit, noting that demolition operations are taking place on a large scale.

The mayor of Hebron considered that the Israeli right is escalating the situation in the city with the aim of gaining electoral votes, days before the Israeli elections scheduled for next Tuesday.

These developments come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced readiness to carry out a large-scale military operation in the West Bank, following an armed attack near Hebron that resulted in the killing of two Israeli soldiers and the wounding of three others.

According to Agence France-Presse, the attack occurred near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, where two Palestinian gunmen clashed with Israeli soldiers, before Israeli forces killed them.

The Israeli army later announced the start of military operations in the Hebron area, which included raiding the homes of the perpetrators of the attack and other homes.

During a visit to the region accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu said that Israel is considering carrying out a large-scale military operation in the West Bank, in a way that the region has not witnessed since the 1967 war, according to his description. He added that the army is ready to carry out the operation, and that its date will come later.

He explained that the first phase would include the entry of Israeli forces into the neighborhood from which the perpetrators of the attack came, evacuating residents, searching homes, and destroying what he described as "terrorist infrastructure."

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also announced the start of demolition of buildings in the area.

On the other hand, the Israeli human rights organization "B'Tselem" warned of plans that may constitute collective punishment against the Palestinians, and called for urgent international intervention to prevent acts that may amount to war crimes.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesman, also expressed concern about the Israeli closures and their impact on the livelihoods of Palestinians, calling for an end to the violence on all sides.

For its part, Hamas praised the attack that targeted Israeli soldiers, without claiming responsibility for its implementation.

The escalation comes before the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27, amid an increasing focus on the security file during the election campaigns.

The West Bank has witnessed escalating tension since the outbreak of the Gaza War in October 2023. According to a tally prepared by Agence France-Presse based on data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 1,117 Palestinians were killed by bullets from Israeli forces and settlers during this period.

Israeli figures also indicate that at least 51 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations.

In light of the ongoing siege and demolition operations that the mayor of Hebron spoke about, fears are increasing about the expansion of the military operation and its impact on the residents and areas surrounding the city.