Israeli soldiers raze neighbourhood in Hebron, driving families from homes

Key Points:

• Israeli troops have demolished a neighborhood in Hebron, evicting approximately 1,500 Palestinians from the Ein Deir Baha district as collective punishment following a militant attack on an army checkpoint outside the city.
• The Hebron municipality reported that around 35 hectares (86 acres) were destroyed or marked for destruction, with the entire city of 250,000 sealed off by checkpoints.
• The demolitions came after a deadly gunfight in which two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen were killed; Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich vowed a strong response ahead of upcoming elections.
• Smotrich ordered immediate demolition of illegal structures near the attack site and called for a comprehensive military campaign similar to those in Gaza and Lebanon, targeting the alleged home district of the attackers.
• Palestinian residents and activists condemned the demolitions as collective punishment against innocent families unrelated to the attack, with concerns that the actions are politically motivated ahead of the Israeli elections.