Israeli forces begin Hebron demolitions after two soldiers killed

Israeli forces began demolishing Palestinian buildings in Hebron on Friday, 23 October, hours after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting at a checkpoint outside the occupied West Bank city. A Reuters reporter saw bulldozers begin tearing down homes near the attack site. The Guardian later reported that Israel’s high court had issued a temporary order to stop the demolitions.

The Israeli military said two Palestinian gunmen were killed in the exchange of fire and three other soldiers were lightly wounded. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised house-to-house searches and the destruction of infrastructure in the Hebron neighbourhood where he said the gunmen came from. He also raised the prospect of a much larger operation across the West Bank, but gave no date for it.

Searches did begin around Hebron. In a statement reported by Israel National News, the military and the Shin Bet security agency described their operation there as targeted and limited to the area from which the gunmen had operated. They said residents could leave through three designated exits after security screening. CNN reported seeing video in which soldiers gave Palestinian residents five minutes to evacuate.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had ordered immediate demolitions near the shooting site, describing them as a way to deter attacks and exact a price. The military and Shin Bet said they were demolishing structures they considered illegal and potentially dangerous to security. Local residents told Reuters that the homes being demolished had no connection to the gunmen; The Guardian reported that no such connection had been alleged for the owner of one destroyed property.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing local sources, reported that a tile and ceramics business, an auto-parts shop and other commercial structures were also hit in western Hebron. The full number of buildings destroyed remains unclear.

According to The Guardian, the temporary court order followed an urgent petition on behalf of two nearby factory owners. Its precise reach, and whether demolition work stopped after it was issued, remain unclear.